WHO warns of impending shutdown of healthcare services in Afghanistan
- The World Health Organisation stated that a funding shortage could result in 80 percent of services they support in Afghanistan shutting down by June.
- This funding crisis is tied to significant cuts in US aid and changes in development aid priorities.
- Without timely intervention, millions of Afghans could lose access to healthcare, threatening lives and reversing progress made in the health system.
Afghanistan is facing a significant crisis in healthcare access, as the World Health Organisation has announced that 80 percent of the health services it supports could shut down by June 2025 due to a critical cash shortfall. This alarming situation is a direct consequence of a substantial reduction in United States aid, which has shifted priorities in development funding and left many healthcare facilities without necessary support. The WHO's statement highlighted that as many as 220 additional facilities might close, jeopardizing the health of 1.8 million Afghans who would be left without primary healthcare services. Furthermore, 167 health operations have already succumbed to the financial pressures, highlighting a pressing humanitarian crisis. Edwin Ceniza Salvador, the WHO’s Afghanistan chief, emphasized the dire implications of these closures, stating, “The consequences will be measured in lives lost.” This situation is compounded by the recent withdrawal of U.S. financial support, which previously funded crucial services, including measles surveillance. A surge in suspected measles cases, with over 16,000 instances reported along with 111 deaths in just the first two months of the year, highlights the immediate public health risks facing the nation. Without intervention, the future of Afghanistan’s healthcare system, built over years of progress, is at stake, revealing the intricacies tied to global health funding and aid priorities that dictate the well-being of vulnerable populations in crisis scenarios.