Key Activities and Achievements of the Ministry of Public Health in Mizan
1. The Ministry of Public Health distributed 3,409 items of medicines and medical equipment, valued at more than AFN 22.5 million, to the provinces of Badghis, Daikundi, Ghor, Kapisa, Kunar and Balkh.
2. The Ministry of Public Health inaugurated a standard building for the maternal and child health department at Hisar Shahi Comprehensive Health Centre in Nangarhar Province, along with four health centres in Zabul, Kunar, Ghazni and Maidan Wardak provinces, two health posts in Takhar Province, and a 10-bed intensive care unit (ICU) at Takhar Provincial Hospital. These projects were valued at more than AFN 253.5 million.
In addition, five health centers in Laghman and Nuristan provinces, valued at AFN 26.7 million, were handed over for use. Work also commenced on installing a 300-kilowatt electrical system at Ghor's 40-bed and regional hospitals. An electrical system valued at AFN 600,000 was activated at the training hall in Kunar Province, and ten healthcare projects were implemented in Paktia, Kapisa and Takhar provinces.
3. The Ministry of Public Health laid the foundation stones for several healthcare projects, including a health centre in Chaparhar District of Nangarhar Province, valued at AFN 20 million; a triage center for patient assessment and prioritization at Baghlan Provincial Hospital, valued at AFN 4.2 million; a 50-bed hospital in Gereshk District of Helmand Province; and a 30-bed hospital in Dand Aw Patan District of Paktia Province. The hospital projects in Helmand and Paktia were reported to have a combined value of AFN 55 million.
4. To strengthen and expand healthcare service provision for residents of Kabul, Nimroz, Helmand, Jawzjan, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul, Balkh, Kunduz, Baghlan, Herat, Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman and Kandahar provinces, the Ministry of Public Health signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth more than USD 73 million with the organisations RI, SCL, WAW, WVI and ORCD.
5. The leadership of the Ministry of Public Health undertook official visits to Belarus, Russia and Thailand to expand healthcare services, strengthen international relations and facilitate the exchange of experience in the health sector.
6. The Ministry of Public Health conducted training programs for healthcare workers in Kabul and several provinces to strengthen their professional capacities. The training covered biomedical equipment, hospital management, safe blood and blood transfusion, the prevention and control of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), laboratory quality control and management, eye health and blindness prevention, medicine safety and pharmacovigilance, laboratory diagnosis of smallpox and viral hepatitis, mental health, polio vaccination, and the use of digital systems. In addition, 23 public awareness programs on drug abuse prevention were conducted for high school students in Kabul and several provinces.
7. The Ministry of Public Health conducted inspections of private healthcare facilities, manufacturing factories and food outlets in Kabul, Kapisa, Balkh, Herat, Farah, Helmand, Jawzjan, Baghlan, Uruzgan and Khost provinces. As a result, 112 pharmacies, nine laboratories, 31 medical examination centers, 20 clinics, three pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, 34 food wholesale outlets and six salt factories were closed for violating health regulations.
Furthermore, 5.5 tons of substandard and expired food products and medicines were collected and transported to designated sites for disposal. In addition, more than 163 tonnes of food products and medicines were destroyed in Kabul, Zabul, Herat and Balkh provinces.
8. The Ministry of Public Health registered 45 types of medicines and health products and six foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers. Operating licences were also issued to three companies. In addition, more than 3,000 medicines and health products underwent evaluation. Seventy food products were submitted to the Quality Control Laboratory for testing, while 18 food products were rejected due to incomplete documentation and non-compliant packaging.