The recent meeting of the Acting Minister of Public Health with the Director of the World Health Organization has paved the way for strengthening the capacity of health workers in cancer treatment, effective implementation of the national measles vaccination campaign, improving the polio vaccine, and providing medical equipment for cancer hospitals.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: The press office of the Ministry of Public Health reported that Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali, Acting Minister of Public Health, met and discussed with Edwin Ceneza Salvador, Director of the World Health Organization in the country. In this meeting, four main areas were emphasized: improving the capacity of health workers in treating cancer diseases, holding a national measles vaccination campaign, better implementation of the polio vaccine, and providing medical equipment for cancer hospitals.

The Acting Minister, emphasizing the need for the optimal implementation of the national measles vaccination campaign, called for the preparation and implementation of a comprehensive program in this regard. The World Health Organization (WHO) chief also assured full cooperation in this area and stated that efforts will continue in coordination with the ministry.

It is worth noting that measles continues to kill some children, highlighting the need for universal vaccination.

According to a report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), one child has died from measles every day since the beginning of 2025—about three times the number of deaths at the same time last year. In three major hospitals in Balkh, Herat, and Helmand, nearly 4,799 children suspected of measles have been registered, which in some hospitals represents an increase of up to 369% compared to the first half of the year.

The Ministry of Public Health has also announced that in the first half of this year, about 4,000 suspected measles cases have been registered, and 21 deaths have been confirmed in the twentieth week of the WHO report.

Reports indicate that a nationwide vaccination campaign is underway to prevent the spread of the epidemic, and about 3,000 health centers have provided measles vaccination services.

Studies show that the daily deaths of children due to measles in 2025 are a warning message about the need to implement a full-scale national vaccination campaign. According to experts, the continuation of such a critical situation will not only put a heavy burden on the health system, but also have wide social and economic consequences. According to experts, the ministry’s close cooperation with the World Health Organization and institutions such as MSF and WHO can help make up for the vaccination gap and prevent further deaths.