The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are holding a high-level meeting in the Qatari capital Doha on interim priorities for the health sector in Afghanistan over the next 18-24 months.
The meeting started on Tuesday and will wrap up on Thursday. It includes delegates from WHO, UNICEF, Qatar, Afghanistan, donors, and other humanitarian organizations. Afghanistan is represented at the meeting by the acting minister of public health. The meeting is expected to review progress and persistent gaps in humanitarian response and emergency risk management (including COVID-19, disease outbreaks, acute malnutrition) and identify options for addressing them, according to a WHO statement.
It is also convened to identify and prioritize the elements of a health system, including health workforce, supply chain management, coordination and governance, and others, requiring support and short-term solution.
Delegates are expected to agree on approaches to support the implementation of the Afghanistan National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication and leverage polio assets in support of other humanitarian and development needs. According to the United Nations, over 24 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year. They face displacement, drought, food insecurity and malnutrition, COVID-19, and many other health challenges.
“Investing in the health and education of Afghanistan is an investment in the future of people who have suffered so much,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the meeting. “WHO remains committed to working with all partners for a healthier, safer, fairer future for Afghanistan.”
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