Afghanistan Peace CampaignSadiq Zahirzai, a physician, called on the World Health Organization to expand its support for provincial health facilities.
Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, says that nearly 150 health centers have been forced to close since the beginning of 2026 due to funding shortages.
She also reported that more than 22 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, while 14.4 million people are in need of healthcare services.
In a post on X, Balkhy wrote: “This means that health workers are less able to vaccinate children, mothers are less able to find safe care and patients find it more challenging to access essential health services. These losses cannot be overlooked.”
Sadiq Zahirzai, a physician, called on the World Health Organization to expand its support for provincial health facilities.
“We urge the World Health Organization to provide greater support to healthcare centers in the provinces and help meet their operational needs.”
Sayed Shah, a resident of Nahr-e Saraj district in Helmand province, has brought his two-year-old son to Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul for treatment. His exhausted appearance reflects the hardship he has endured, saying the lack of pediatric specialists and standard medical services in Helmand forced him to seek treatment in the capital.
Speaking to TOLOnews, he said: “There is a large hospital in Bost, Helmand, but my child could not be treated there. I then went to a private hospital, but I couldn’t even afford to buy a single tablet. People there are under tremendous strain, so we came to Kabul for treatment.”
The head of the outpatient clinic and diagnostic center at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital said that between 6,000 and 7,000 patients visited the hospital over the past four days, around 70 percent of whom came from the provinces.
Mohammadullah Rasouli, head of the hospital’s outpatient clinic and diagnostic center, said: “Diagnostic and treatment facilities should be available in the provinces. Afghanistan’s economic situation is weak, and many people even have to borrow money just to cover the cost of traveling to Kabul.”
Dr. Mashal Faqiri also described the growing patient load.
“We examine approximately 120 to 150 patients every day. Some require hospitalization, some undergo surgery, and others are prescribed treatment. Around 70 percent of them come from the provinces.”
Meanwhile, families waiting anxiously for their children’s recovery are calling for the establishment of standard hospitals across Afghanistan’s provinces.
Mahfooz, who traveled from Parwan for his son’s treatment, said: “Healthcare facilities should be made available in our own provinces. Standard hospitals should be built, and every medical specialty should be available.”
Fazl Jalal, who came from Kunar for medical treatment, added: “When we seek treatment in Kunar, we are referred to Jalalabad. If treatment is not available there, we end up traveling all the way to Kabul, facing numerous hardships along the way.”
The World Health Organization had previously warned that, following the reduction and suspension of a significant portion of U.S. aid, at least 422 health facilities across Afghanistan had ceased operations by the end of June 2025 due to funding shortages, leaving more than 3.1 million people without access to essential healthcare services.
Separately, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health announced on 25 December 2024 (5 Jadi 1403) that 318 district-level hospitals would be constructed across the country.