WHO warns of health service closures in Afghanistan

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that 80 percent of the health services it supports in Afghanistan could stop operating by June due to a lack of funding. This funding shortfall is linked to significant cuts in U.S. aid and changes in development aid priorities. WHO stated that if no urgent action is taken, more than 220 health facilities could close, leaving an additional 1.8 million Afghans without primary health care services by June 2025. Already, 167 facilities have shut down due to insufficient financial support. Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO's chief in Afghanistan, emphasized the grave consequences of this situation, saying it could result in lives lost. He described the crisis as a humanitarian emergency that threatens to reverse years of improvements in Afghanistan's health system. The warning comes in the wake of a U.S. withdrawal from WHO funding, which has also endangered global measles surveillance efforts. In January and February, WHO reported over 16,000 suspected measles cases and 111 deaths in Afghanistan. The Taliban, which regained control in 2021, disputes these figures and is not recognized internationally. Currently, the Taliban government relies heavily on non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, and aid donors to sustain its health system. WHO also mentioned that Afghanistan is facing multiple health emergencies, including malaria and dengue outbreaks. Meanwhile, efforts continue to vaccinate children against polio, which remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan.