WHO secures $6.3 million to support health services in Afghanistan
Funding from UN emergency funds to expand care for women, children, and returnees amid deepening health crisis
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has received more than $6.3 million in new humanitarian funding to strengthen health services in Afghanistan, where nearly one in three people lack access to basic care.
The support comes from two UN mechanisms: the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF). WHO said the allocations will allow it to expand primary healthcare, improve outbreak surveillance, and address acute malnutrition among children in provinces facing the most severe shortages.
Of the total, $4.98 million from CERF will sustain 42 primary healthcare centers, deploy 15 disease surveillance teams, and deliver 249 medical supply kits across 13 provinces.
The AHF contribution of $1.39 million will support six sub-health centers, 10 surveillance teams, and 13 inpatient therapeutic feeding centers to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
WHO officials estimate the projects will directly benefit more than 747,000 Afghans, with an additional 2.4 million expected to benefit indirectly through improved disease monitoring and outbreak response capacity.
“This support will help prevent avoidable deaths and strengthen our ability to reach vulnerable communities, especially women and children affected by economic hardship, displacement, and environmental crises,” said Dr. Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO’s representative in Afghanistan.
The funding arrives as Afghanistan faces overlapping challenges, including widespread poverty, a fragile health system, and the return of large numbers of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan.
UN officials warn that the country is also on the brink of another severe drought, compounding humanitarian needs.
“These allocations come at a critical moment,” said Kate Carey, Deputy Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Afghanistan, adding that both CERF and AHF are vital for scaling up lifesaving interventions in one of the world’s most underfunded emergencies.
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