Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the closure of more than 150 health centres across Afghanistan since the beginning of 2026 is restricting access to essential medical care for millions of people and threatening efforts to eradicate polio as funding for humanitarian health services continues to decline.
In a statement, WHO said the health facilities have suspended operations because of severe funding shortages, leaving many communities without access to primary healthcare, maternal services, disease prevention and emergency treatment. The agency warned that the closures are placing additional strain on Afghanistan’s already fragile healthcare system, with women, children and people in remote areas among those most affected.
According to WHO, more than 22 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, including over 14 million who need healthcare services. However, only 17 percent of the funding required for the country’s health response had been received by the end of June 2026, leaving critical programmes at risk of further disruption.
The agency said the funding gap threatens routine immunization campaigns and disease surveillance, raising concerns over efforts to eliminate wild poliovirus. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has never been interrupted, making continued vaccination campaigns a global public health priority.
The warning followed a visit to Afghanistan by Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, who traveled to Kabul and Kandahar with representatives of international partners. During the visit, she met officials from the Taliban administration, healthcare workers, United Nations agencies and donor representatives to discuss the country’s growing health and humanitarian needs.
Dr. Balkhy said sustained international support is essential to maintaining life-saving health services and achieving the goal of eradicating polio. She stressed that ending transmission requires a functioning healthcare system, trained health workers, uninterrupted vaccination campaigns and predictable long-term funding.
Afghanistan’s healthcare system has faced repeated financial shocks since international aid declined following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Humanitarian organizations say reductions in donor funding have forced hundreds of health facilities to scale back or suspend services, disrupting access to medicines, maternal and child healthcare, nutrition programmes and emergency medical treatment.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Afghanistan’s health sector remains heavily dependent on international assistance. Aid organizations say continued financial support is critical to preventing further deterioration in healthcare access, particularly in rural provinces where humanitarian services often provide the only source of medical care.
WHO called on international donors to increase funding for Afghanistan’s health response, warning that without urgent financial support, more health facilities could close, leaving millions of Afghans without essential care and undermining progress against preventable diseases, including polio.