Despite the challenges, some organisations continue to operate in Afghanistan, striving to fill the gaps left by fleeing professionals. However, without significant international support and a reversal of restrictive Taliban policies, the health-care system’s recovery seems unlikely, says a report by Radio Liberty.
Afghanistan’s health-care system is on the brink of collapse as thousands of medical professionals flee the country, leaving millions without adequate medical care, says a report by Radio Liberty. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the departure of doctors, nurses, and specialists has created a critical void in the nation’s health infrastructure, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Dr. Abdullah Ahmadi, an orthopedic surgeon and former head of Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, is among those who left Afghanistan. Now residing in Finland, Ahmadi recalls the oppressive conditions that drove him away. “The conditions for me were suffocating,” he said. “I was threatened and humiliated by unqualified and uneducated Taliban members who were placed in key positions in the Public Health Ministry and state-run hospitals.”
According to the Radio Liberty report, the exodus is fuelled by poor working conditions, low salaries, harassment, and the Taliban’s oppressive policies, including the controversial ban on teenage girls’ education. For Dr. Safa Hassani, a psychiatrist now in Germany, the Taliban’s decision to restrict education for girls was the tipping point. “I sacrificed my job and profession so my daughters can study,” said Hassani, who, like many Afghan doctors abroad, struggles to obtain a license to practice in Europe.
A Health-Care Vacuum
The departure of medical professionals has left the Afghan health-care system reeling. Sonia Cautain, a French aid worker who oversaw operations at the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children in Kabul until 2023, described the exodus as a devastating blow. “Afghanistan has lost a lot of its best doctors,” she said. “Many left for the sake of their careers and families because they didn’t know what to expect from the Taliban.”
Cautain noted that the loss has created a “big vacuum” in the health-care system, with dire consequences for ordinary Afghans. Abdul Ahad, a resident of Kabul, experienced this firsthand when he needed surgery for kidney stones. Unable to find a qualified doctor in Afghanistan, he travelled to neighbouring Pakistan for treatment, spending over $1,000 — a fortune for many Afghans. “Some of the [Afghan] doctors told me that the stones were in my kidney while others said it was stuck in my ureters,” he said, highlighting the lack of expertise now prevalent in Afghanistan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Afghanistan has only 10 health workers for every 10,000 people, far below the universal health coverage threshold of 44 per 10,000. Nearly 18 million people, almost half the population, require health assistance, with 9.5 million having little or no access to basic health services.
The situation is particularly grim for women. Earlier this month, the Taliban banned midwife and nurse training, further jeopardizing maternal and child health. “We are likely to see more deaths because of preventable diseases,” said Dr. Kayarash, an Afghan physician who now lives in the Czech Republic. He noted that the shortage of female doctors has forced patients to endure longer waits for specialist care, a delay that could be fatal in many cases.
The Cost of Survival
In Afghanistan’s remote regions, the lack of medical professionals has turned health care into a life-or-death gamble. Waris Shah, a resident of the remote district of Barmal in Paktika Province, said patients often travel hundreds of kilometers to Kabul for treatment. “Patients are frequently dying while on their way to see a doctor,” he said.
The exodus of medical professionals is compounded by the loss of international funding, which previously accounted for over 75 per cent of public spending. Human Rights Watch described the sharp decline in financial support as a “shock” to the economy and public health system. The group’s February report warned that insufficient health care has left Afghans vulnerable to disease and other health crises.
For many Afghans, seeking treatment abroad is the only option, but it comes at a steep price. Those who cannot afford the journey or the cost of care are left to fend for themselves in a crumbling health-care system. The humanitarian crisis has also heightened the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles and cholera.
Despite the challenges, some organisations continue to operate in Afghanistan, striving to fill the gaps left by fleeing professionals. However, without significant international support and a reversal of restrictive Taliban policies, the health-care system’s recovery seems unlikely.
As Afghanistan’s health crisis deepens, the stories of those like Dr. Ahmadi and Dr. Hassani underscore the personal and societal toll of the Taliban’s rule. While they have found safety abroad, millions of Afghans remain trapped in a country where access to life-saving medical care is increasingly out of reach.
Image: WHO Afghanistan
