Muttaqi to UN: Accept Afghan rep to WHO

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi wants the United Nations to accept the Afghan representative to the World Health Organisation to let the world know the real picture of Afghanistan’s health sector.

He issued the call at a meeting with a high-level delegation of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) here on Sunday.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Public Health Minister Dr. Qalandar Ebad was also present at the meeting.

Anti-polio efforts in Afghanistan, health dialogue with regional countries and other topics came up for discussion.

WHO Regional Director Hanan Balkhi said they were working on a plan to pave the way for health dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan and urged the foreign ministers of both countries to lead these discussions.

She announced the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had allocated 15 million US dollars to Afghanistan’s health sector in addition to $3 million each from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

For his part, Muttaqi said combating polio in the country was one of the priorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

He expressed readiness for dialogue on health issues with Pakistan and emphasised health, education and humanitarian aid should be kept aloof from politics.

He urged the UN to accept the Afghan envoy to WHO to paint the real picture of Afghanistan’s health sector.

kk/mud