On World Health Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross reveals how its support for primary clinics and emergency services reached 1.2 million Afghans in 2025 — even as 14.4 million more face a deepening health crisis in 2026.
Afghanistan’s healthcare system remains under severe strain from decades of conflict, economic hardship, natural disasters and ongoing hostilities, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned. In a detailed review of its work, the organisation described how its partnership with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has become a lifeline for vulnerable communities, delivering essential primary care and emergency support while the United Nations projects that more than 14.4 million people will need humanitarian health assistance this year.
The ICRC’s support focuses on strengthening institutions rather than replacing the national system. By working closely with the ministry of public health and ARCS, the organisation has helped keep basic services running in some of the country’s most affected areas, where millions – especially women, children and people in remote regions – struggle to access even routine medical help.
Primary Care Clinics Serve as First Line of Defence
At the heart of the ICRC’s efforts are 46 Basic Health Clinics and one district hospital operated by ARCS. In 2025 these facilities treated approximately 1.2 million patients, the vast majority women and children. The clinics provide preventive care, early treatment, vaccinations, antenatal and postnatal services and free medicines, easing the burden on overstretched secondary hospitals.
Patients have described the clinics as lifelines. Parveen Yusofi, a pregnant woman attending Hazrat Abu Bakr Sediq Basic Health Clinic in Herat, said: “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.”
Akhtar Mohammad, a teacher from Kandahar who brought his young daughter for treatment after she developed flu symptoms, echoed the sentiment. “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.”
The emphasis on primary care is deliberate. By catching illnesses early and offering preventive services, the clinics reduce the number of patients who later require expensive hospital treatment. In a country where private care is beyond the reach of most families, these ARCS facilities often represent the only accessible healthcare option.
Emergency Training and Hospital Upgrades Save Lives in Critical Moments
Beyond clinics, the ICRC’s Emergency Department Support (EDS) programme has upgraded infrastructure, equipment and staff skills in selected provincial hospitals. In 2024 the programme operated in Ghazni Provincial Hospital, Ghazni Regional Hospital, Rukha District Hospital, Khost Provincial Hospital and Tirinkot Provincial Hospital. In 2025 support shifted to Paktya Regional Hospital, Baghlan Provincial Hospital and the Office of Prisons Administration 50-Bed Hospital, allowing the ICRC to adapt to changing needs.
The organisation also delivered intensive training. Sixteen Basic Emergency Care (BEC) sessions – including four Training-of-Trainers courses – equipped 256 health professionals (115 women and 141 men) with life-saving skills. Separately, 53 First Aid training sessions across 16 provinces reached 779 responders, improving pre-hospital care and mass-casualty incident preparedness. Advanced First-Aid Training was additionally provided to Kabul Airport fire-extinguishing staff.
Sumaya Samadi, a nurse at Baghlan Provincial Hospital, described the value of the training: “Organising 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.”
ICRC Disaster and Emergency Medicine Specialist Killiam Argote-Araméndiz explained the strategic importance: “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 organisation 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.”
Nutrition Support Targets Hidden Crisis Among Children
In Afghanistan, malnutrition remains a silent emergency. The ICRC coordinates with UNICEF and the World Food Programme to supply ready-to-use therapeutic food to ARCS clinics outside the main UN nutrition cluster. This targeted intervention helps clinics address severe acute malnutrition among children who would otherwise go untreated.
By integrating nutrition services into primary care, the ICRC is tackling one of the most pressing long-term consequences of Afghanistan’s protracted crisis. Early nutritional support not only saves young lives but also reduces future complications that would otherwise overwhelm hospitals.
Partnerships and Challenges in a Fragile Context
All ICRC activities are carried out in close coordination with the ministry of public health. The organisation also supports physical rehabilitation, first-aid programmes and trauma training, maintaining a broad institutional partnership that extends beyond immediate relief.
Yet the challenges are stark. Decades of conflict have left the health sector heavily dependent on international aid. Economic hardship means families cannot afford private services, while natural disasters and sporadic violence continue to stretch resources. Access remains uneven, particularly for women, children and those living far from urban centres. The ICRC’s annual review makes clear that without sustained humanitarian support, the gains of recent years could quickly erode.
The 2025 figures demonstrate both the scale of need and the tangible impact of targeted assistance. More than a million patients received care that might otherwise have been unavailable. Thousands of health workers and first responders gained skills that will serve communities for years to come. Hospitals in key provinces are now better equipped to handle both routine emergencies and sudden surges.
The ICRC’s report serves as a reminder that in Afghanistan this right remains fragile. Primary clinics, emergency upgrades, nutrition programmes and training initiatives have kept the health system functioning for the most vulnerable.
But with 14.4 million people projected to need assistance in 2026, the gap between needs and resources continues to widen. The ICRC’s institutional support model – working through local partners and national authorities – offers a sustainable path forward, yet it cannot substitute for broader economic recovery and lasting peace.
