Cairo, 29 March 2022 - The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are holding a high-level meeting on interim priorities for the health sector in Afghanistan over the next 18-24 months between 29-31 March 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Delegates from WHO, UNICEF, the State of Qatar, Afghanistan, donors, and other humanitarian partners convene to: review gaps in health and nutrition service delivery and identify options for addressing them as well as progress and persistent gaps in humanitarian response and emergency risk management (including COVID-19, disease outbreaks, acute malnutrition) and identify options for addressing them identify and prioritize the elements of health system, (including health workforce, supply chain management, coordination and governance and others) requiring support and short-term solution agree on approaches to support the implementation of the Afghanistan National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication and leverage polio assets in support of other humanitarian and development needs agree on approaches for strengthened accountability to the Afghan population agree on general strategic directions to support the health sector, including monitoring the effectiveness of international support The meeting takes place as Afghanistan faces a combination of economic instability, severe drought, major food insecurity, rising malnutrition, forced displacements, the COVID-19 pandemic, other concurrent disease outbreaks, and violent trauma — complex challenges which have conspired to create one of the world’s largest and most rapidly evolving humanitarian crises. Media contacts: WHO This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   UNICEF This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it