Jalali: New plan on cards to improve health sector

KABUL (Pajhwok): Minister of Public Health Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali says a long-term strategic plan for the Afghanistan’s health sector would be developed after 2026 to clearly define the role of donors in ensuring the integration of services following a comprehensive assessment.

He said this at a coordination meeting with representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Gavi, World Bank and others donors, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said.

A statement from the ministry said the meeting participants discussed the current state of Afghanistan’s health sector, the importance of support and future programmes.

Jalali described effective resource management, adherence to transparency and combatting corruption as shared responsibility for delivering high-quality and efficient services.

He announced that a clear, long-term strategic plan for Afghanistan’s health sector would be devised post-2026, detailing donors’ roles and logically integrating services based on comprehensive evaluations.

He added the development of a new health strategy was underway, which would be critical for strengthening of public health.

In addition, the review process for the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) has begun to improve the quality of primary and secondary healthcare, safeguard public health and meet the needs of population.

For their part, representatives of WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, WB and other donors pledged to continue supporting Afghanistan’s health sector until 2026. During this period, they would closely collaborate with MoPH in urgent health services (HSS) in a cooperative and participatory manner.

kk/ma