Ministry of Public Health (Afghanistan)

Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan (Dari: وزارت صحت عامه افغانستان, Pashto: د افغانستان د عامې روغتیا وزارت) is the ministry of the government of Afghanistan which deals with matters concerning the health of Afghanistan's population. As of 2021 the acting minister of Health was Dr. Wahid Majrooh until Taliban Takeover of Kabul.[2][3] The Ministry of Public Health provides an annual report to inform the public of advancements in Afghanistan's health sector.[4]

Ministry of Public Health
(Dari: وزارت صحت عامه افغانستان
Pashto: د افغانستان د عامې روغتیا وزارت)
Emblem of the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Agency overview
JurisdictionGovernment of Afghanistan
HeadquartersCharahi-e-Masoud, Airport Road Kabul, Afghanistan
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
Websitehttp://moph.gov.af/en

The ministry

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Following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan the Ministry of Health, along with the World Health Organization and other technical partners and donors reconstructed the health sector. At the time, at least 70%[5] of the Afghan population was dependent on health services provided by the international community. Almost six million Afghans had no or very little access to medical care. In addition, 50 of the country's 330 districts had no health facilities whatsoever.

The goal of the ministry is to develop the health sector to improve the health of the people of Afghanistan, especially women and children, through implementing the basic package of health services (BPHS) and the essential package of hospital services (EPHS) as the standard, agreed-upon minimum of health care to be provided at each level of the health system. It wants to reduce the high levels of mortality and morbidity by:

  • 1) Improving access to quality emergency and routine reproductive and child health services,
  • 2) Increasing the coverage and quality of services to prevent and treat communicable diseases and malnutrition among children and adults
  • 3) Strengthening institutional development and management at central and provincial levels to ensure the effective and cost-efficient delivery of quality health services and
  • 4) Further developing the capacity of health personnel to manage and better deliver quality health services.[6]

Ministers

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Name Term Notes
Kubra Noorzai 1965–1969 First female minister in Afghanistan.
Abdul Rauf Mohammad between 1996 and 1999 Acting, under Muhammed Omar
Mohammad Abbas Akhund between 1996 and 2001 under Muhammed Omar
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai between 1996 and 2001 Deputy minister, under Muhammed Omar
Suhayla Seddiqi 2001–2004
Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimi 2004–2010 Was renominated in 2010 but did not receive approval from the Wolesi Jirga.
Suraya Dalil 2010–2014 Initially did not receive approval from the Afghan Parliament and was appointed acting minister before being confirmed in 2012.[3]
Ferozuddin Feroz 2015–2019 Received formal approval from the Afghanistan Parliament and became the official confirmed minister.
Ahmad Jawad Osmani May - December 2020 Received formal approval from the Afghanistan parliament but was quickly forcefully ousted by then president Ashraf Ghani on corruption charges of the ministry employees.
Wahid Majrooh January 2021-September 2021[7] Acting minister of health
Qalandar Ibad September 2021 – May 2024[8] Acting minister of health
Maulawi Noor Jalal May 2024 - present[9] Acting minister of health

References

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  1. ^ "د عامې روغتیا وزارت د مالي او اداري مرستیال د ملي پراختیا ادارې له استازي سره وکتل | د عامې روغتیا وزارت". moph.gov.af.
  2. ^ "Minister's Biography". Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Dalil, Soraya". Afghan Biographies Database. 2014-10-01. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "Annual Report - Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan". moph.gov.af. Archived from the original on 2013-09-24.
  5. ^ US Embassy website Archived 2004-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Vision for Health 2005-2015". Ministry of Health. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  7. ^ https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/verden/2021/09/12/helseminister-i-afghanistan-ber-norge-opprettholde-bistanden/. Dagsavisen. Retrieved 12 September 2021. "Han er den eneste statsråden fra Ashraf Ghanis avsatte regjering som fortsatt møter på jobb i Kabul" ["He is the only minister from the Ashraf Ghani Cabinet, that still shows up at work in Kabul"]
  8. ^ "The Taliban Announce Remaining Cabinet Members". 21 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Taliban Dismisses Physician from Health Ministry, Appoints Cleric Instead". Afghanistan International. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
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