INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Acting Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, says the issue of health should not be politicized given that Afghanistan has a
vulnerable health-care sector and needs international aid.Addressing a ceremony to mark the opening of a new children’s immunization
center, Jalali said the death rate of children in Afghanistan is still high and international organizations should help health officials
reduce this rate.“I mostly say that health and politics should be separated
International partners who claim the rights of mothers and children [should be ensured] should cooperate a lot in the field of health,”
said Jalali.He added that 17 health centers will be built in districts across the country this solar year.Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for
Health Services Abdul Wali Haqqani also spoke at the event and said about two million children have not yet been vaccinated.According to
him, 900,000 children will receive vaccines over the next 18 months.A representative of UNICEF also stressed the need for the complete
eradication of polio in Afghanistan.“Afghanistan is one of the countries where polio cases still exist
Therefore, this program is an opportunity to reach out to children who have missed vaccination [campaigns], and we strive to protect these
children and expand this program to the highest level in the future,” said the UNICEF representative.According to official data, between
four and five million children benefit from the polio program every year.The World Health Organization (WHO) recently confirmed 18 new cases
of polio infection in the country so far this year, a significant increase from the six cases reported in 2023.Local healthcare workers say
these numbers could be higher as many cases will not yet have been detected.The post Afghanistan’s health minister says health-care should
not be politicized first appeared on Ariana News.
