UNICEF says about 2,400 health centers remained operational across Afghanistan last year

UNICEF Representative for Afghanistan, Tajudeen Oyewale, said on Sunday that approximately 2,400 health centers across Afghanistan continued to function over the past year with sustained support from international donors, helping maintain essential healthcare services in a country facing ongoing humanitarian pressure.

In a post on X, Oyewale expressed gratitude to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for their continued financial and technical support to Afghanistan’s health sector. He noted that this assistance helped sustain services reaching more than 20 million people nationwide, particularly in areas where public health infrastructure remains weak or disrupted.

During a recent visit to Logar Province, Oyewale observed how long-term investment and donor-backed programs are contributing to life-saving healthcare for children, mothers, and vulnerable families. He highlighted that despite difficult operating conditions, frontline health facilities are still providing critical services such as vaccinations, maternal care, and basic treatment.

At the same time, he warned that Afghanistan is facing one of the largest returnee movements in the world. He stressed that the United Nations response plan urgently requires continued international funding to prevent further strain on already fragile health and humanitarian systems.

According to UN projections, more than two million people are expected to return to Afghanistan between April and December 2026, a development likely to place additional pressure on limited health services, food security systems, and shelter capacity.

Separate UN assessments have also raised concern about Afghanistan’s maternal health situation. The country remains among those with the highest prevalence of obstetric fistula, with an estimated 15,000 women and girls currently affected by the childbirth-related condition, reflecting gaps in emergency obstetric care and reproductive health services.

Overall, Afghanistan’s health sector continues to face multiple overlapping challenges, including widespread malnutrition, high maternal and child mortality rates, shortages of essential medicines, and limited access to healthcare especially in rural areas and among women and girls.

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