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Afghanistan: A year of providing healthcare and institutional support

Afghanistan World Health Day 2026 article cover

On World Health Day 2026, attention turns to the urgent health challenges facing people in Afghanistan, where years of past conflict and current hostilities, economic and development difficulties, and natural disasters have strained an already fragile healthcare system. Millions continue to face limited access to healthcare services, particularly women, children, and those in remote areas. 

Despite these challenges, the support provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to 46 Basic Health Clinics (BHCs) and one District Hospital of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has proven to significantly contribute to improving the lives of the population. 

In 2025, around 1.2 million patients, mostly women and children continued to access preventive care and early treatment at BHCs supported by the ICRC. By providing care at the earliest stages of illness, these facilities help reduce pressure on an already overstretched secondary healthcare system.

Parveen during her visit to Hazrat Abu Bakr Sediq, an ICRC-support Basic Healthcare Clinic in Herat.
ICRC/Dawa jan RAHIMI
ICRC/Dawa jan RAHIMI

Parveen during her visit to Hazrat Abu Bakr Sediq, an ICRC-support Basic Healthcare Clinic in Herat.

I am pregnant, and this clinic supports women like me throughout our pregnancy. The doctors provide antenatal and postnatal care and follow our health from the beginning until after the baby is born. My relatives and other family members also come here because they trust the services.

Parveen Yusofi a patient visiting a BHC in Herat province

It is projected by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that over 14.4 million people in the country require humanitarian health assistance during 2026. Decades of conflict have left the health system in Afghanistan heavily dependent on international assistance. The prolonged crisis and severe economic hardship mean that many families can no longer afford private health services.

In this context, healthcare services provided through ARCS clinics, supported by the ICRC, play a critical role in saving lives and ensuring that vulnerable communities can continue to receive quality care when they need it most.

A doctor examining little Bushra at a Basic Healthcare Clinic in Kandahar.
ICRC/Amir Mohmmad
ICRC/Amir Mohmmad

A doctor examining little Bushra at a Basic Healthcare Clinic in Kandahar.

Akhtar Mohammad, a resident of Kandahar, recently brought his young daughter Bushra to an ARCS clinic supported by the ICRC after she developed flu. Having relied on the clinic for years, he describes it as an essential source of healthcare for his family.

For more than two years, this clinic has been the first place I come when someone in my family is sick. I have brought all my children here. It is close to our home, the staff treat patients with great care, and the quality of the service is very good.

As a teacher facing economic difficulties, I cannot always afford medical costs. Here, we receive consultations, medicines, vaccinations, and nutrition support free of charge. For families like mine, this clinic makes a real difference.

Akhtar Mohammad a resident of Kandahar

The nutrition component of the BHCs has also been strengthened through effective coordination and the mobilization of partners, including UNICEF and World Food Programme. In addition, the ICRC continues to supply Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to ARCS BHCs that are not supported by other organization within the United Nations’ nutrition cluster.

Primary Health Care remains a priority for the ICRC and its Movement partners as a vital support system for people in need across Afghanistan. The programme is essential not only for the well-being of local communities but also for maintaining the ICRC’s understanding of the heath sector environment and ensuring the sustainability of its humanitarian operations in the country.

To further support the provision of healthcare services, the Emergency Department Support (EDS) Programme of the ICRC continued to strengthen emergency medical response and care across Afghanistan in 2024–2025, addressing gaps in clinical capacity, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness. Efforts focused on improving Emergency Departments’ functionality, upgrading equipment and infrastructure, reinforcing staff competencies, and enhancing readiness for Mass-Casualty Incidents (MCIs).

In 2024, the ICRC’s support was provided to the Emergency Departments of the Ghazni Provincial Hospital (GPH), Ghazni Regional Hospital (GRH), Rukha District Hospital (RDH), Khost Provincial Hospital (KPH), and Tirinkot Provincial Hospital (TPH). In 2025, as support concluded for GPH, GRH, and RDH, the programme onboarded Paktya Regional Hospital (PRH), Baghlan Provincial Hospital (BPH), and the Office of Prisons Administration 50-Bed Hospital (OPA-50BH), demonstrating continued adaptation to evolving humanitarian and operational needs.

Through its Basic Emergency Care (BEC) training programme, the ICRC has delivered 16 (12 BEC and four BEC Training of Trainer) comprehensive sessions, equipping 256 health professionals including 115 women and 141 men with vital life-saving skills.

Female health personnel participating in a BEC training in Kabul.
ICRC/Mohammad Masoud SAMIMI
ICRC/Mohammad Masoud SAMIMI

Female health personnel participating in a BEC training in Kabul.

Organizing such training is very beneficial because by learning basic emergency care we can improve the quality of care we provide. The knowledge that we obtained, such as intervening to respond to the health needs of critical patients, can be brought back with us to the provinces where we work.

Sumaya Samadi a nurse from Baghlan's Provincial Hospital
The ICRC staff during Advanced First-Aid Training (AFAT) for Kabul Airport’s fire extinguishing staff. The training aimed to strengthen their practical skills in providing immediate lifesaving assistance during operational duties and emergencies.
ICRC
ICRC

The ICRC staff during Advanced First-Aid Training (AFAT) for Kabul Airport’s fire extinguishing staff. The training aimed to strengthen their practical skills in providing immediate lifesaving assistance during operational duties and emergencies.

In 2025, 53 First Aid training sessions were conducted across 16 provinces, reaching 779 responders. These training courses aimed to strengthen pre-hospital care capacity, enabling first responders to provide timely and life-saving assistance at the scene and during patient transport.

Strengthening First Aid and pre-hospital emergency care is central to our humanitarian mission, as it ensures that people affected by conflict and violence receive immediate, life-saving support before reaching health facilities.

In those critical moments, every second matters. By investing in training, essential equipment, and better organization of care, we help ensure that patients arriving in urgent need are treated quickly, safely, and with dignity. This support not only makes an immediate difference for those fighting for their lives, but also strengthens hospitals over time, enabling them to respond with resilience and compassion to both everyday emergencies and large-scale crisis.

Killiam Argote-Araméndiz ICRC’s Disaster and Emergency Medicine Specialist in Afghanistan

The ICRC prioritizes supporting Afghanistan’s healthcare system by partnering with health authorities including the Ministry of Public Health to improve access and sustainability through programmes like physical rehabilitation, first aid training, emergency medical supplies, trauma training, and primary care in collaboration with the ARCS.

 

Learn more about our work in Afghanistan