Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds.
Given Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on international aid to support their healthcare system, the state of Afghanistan’s healthcare sector has been fragile since the Taliban takeover. With the lack of domestic leadership for Afghanistan’s healthcare system in addition to the much reduced funds from the World Bank and other donors, the healthcare system has been in a serious state of stress with a lack of funding, resources, and human capital.
An example of this includes the closure of five healthcare facilities in the Daikundi province in Afghanistan just this month, operated by the Global Relief Institute. The Taliban halted the Global Relief Institute’s operations. The Taliban has previously forced other international non-profit organizations to cease activities for alleged “lack of cooperation” or other reasons. Another major case is the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan which provided vital services in education, healthcare, and disability support but faced similar pressure from the Taliban, impacting vital aid for the Afghan people.
Daikundi is located in a rural area of Afghanistan, which geographically already creates difficulty in providing services and care to people in this region. Given the hard to reach location and the closure of close proximity healthcare facilities, the people in Daikundi are left facing a crisis. According to Amu TV, “the situation is further compounded by a shortage of health centers, a lack of female specialist doctors, and a scarcity of medicines across Daikundi.”
Afghanistan already faces many dire health problems. The country has some of the highest rates of maternal mortality, the highest rates of disability, and a malnutrition crisis that women and children are bearing the brunt of. With the closure of healthcare facilities, there will be no resources to treat these disabilities.
Looking at this from a long-term perspective, Afghanistan will be faced with a shrinking workforce due to the number of women being prohibited from work and pursuing higher education beyond grade six. An already slow economy due to the withdrawal of international aid, coupled with a shrinking workforce has led to large economic losses, disruptions in workflow and supply chain, and declining innovation.
Furthermore, a lack of healthcare facilities means that countless women and children are left to struggle under the Taliban’s restricted version of Afghanistan. Women do not have the proper check-ups during their pregnancy or pre and postnatal care to ensure a healthy pregnancy for the mother and child. Children are struggling with malnutrition and diarrhea, a preventable and treatable illness.
Healthcare is a fundamental human right, regardless of gender, race, religion, or location. It is essential that international donors and non-profit organizations continue to support Afghanistan’s healthcare system, ensuring critical assistance reaches the Afghan people. The provision of humanitarian aid must remain separate from political recognition of the Taliban. Afghan citizens are calling for the Taliban to prioritize the country’s healthcare system and urgently restore medical services.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, Amu TV, ScienceDirect, Reliefweb
