RASC News Agency: The European Union (EU) has pledged €31 million to bolster Afghanistan’s health sector, directing these funds to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). On Thursday, October 24th, the EU announced the distribution of €16 million to WHO and €15 million to UNFPA. These contributions aim to support healthcare services, with a particular focus on treating non-communicable diseases, such as cancer.
The EU emphasized that this aid will prioritize supporting mothers, children, and adolescents in Afghanistan’s remote areas, where healthcare access is critically limited. The organization highlighted the dire conditions for pregnant women, infants, and children in the country, stressing that maternal and child mortality rates remain among the highest in the world. According to the EU’s statement, every two hours, a mother in Afghanistan dies from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
WHO, alongside UNFPA, will leverage this funding to collaborate with local and international partners to deliver healthcare to over half a million people, particularly women and girls. Kobina Asante-Ntiamoah, UNFPA’s representative in Afghanistan, stated, “We are reinforcing the national health system by investing in community-led healthcare services.”
WHO Afghanistan also indicated that through its partnership with UNFPA, they intend to significantly improve access to reproductive, maternal, adolescent, and child healthcare services. It is noteworthy that earlier, in October, the European Commission provided an additional €146 million to address Afghanistan’s most urgent needs.
