KABUL — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Afghanistan is facing a silent but devastating health crisis as mental health conditions and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) spread across the country.
The agency estimates that one in five Afghans is living with a mental illness, while heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic illnesses account for nearly half of all deaths nationwide.
Experts warn that without urgent action, deaths from NCDs are projected to climb from 43% to over 60% by 2030. Women are expected to be disproportionately affected, with breast and cervical cancers among the most common and most deadly diseases in the country.
Decades of conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and economic hardship have left millions of Afghans struggling with psychological scars. WHO reports that last year, more than half of returning families from Pakistan and Iran experienced disorders such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress.
Yet, access to treatment remains scarce. Most provincial hospitals and primary care facilities still lack mental health services, leaving vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, and displaced families, without proper support.
The health crisis comes at a time when Afghanistan’s medical system is under extraordinary strain. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, international aid, which once covered nearly 80% of Afghanistan’s health budget, has been drastically reduced or rerouted through humanitarian agencies.
This has left hospitals short on funding, supplies, and medicines. Thousands of health facilities across the country have struggled to stay open, with many operating on minimal resources.
The Taliban’s restrictions, particularly on women, have further weakened health care delivery. Female doctors, nurses, and midwives, essential for treating women in a segregated health system, face increasing barriers to work, worsening an already dire shortage of qualified staff. In rural areas, where cultural norms prevent women from being treated by male doctors, these restrictions have left countless women and children without care.
Adding to the crisis is a severe brain drain of health professionals. Since 2021, many of Afghanistan’s most experienced doctors and specialists have fled abroad due to security concerns, lack of professional opportunities, and political repression. The exodus has hollowed out hospitals and universities, leaving young, inexperienced practitioners to handle complex cases with little support.
