Kazakhstan Trains Afghan Health Workers in Joint Programme

DID Press: Kazakhstan has launched a specialized training programme for Afghan health professionals, reflecting growing cooperation in the health sector between Kabul and Astana. Under the agreement, a group of Afghan doctors and medical staff will be sent to Kazakhstan for hands-on and specialized training.

The Taliban-run Afghan Ministry of Public Health announced that its acting head, Noorjalal Jalali, met with a 13-member Kazakh delegation and agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in healthcare, including the implementation of joint training and medical programmes. During their two-week visit to Afghanistan, the delegation visited MoH hospitals including Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan, Sheikh Zayed, and Al-Shifa, and participated alongside Afghan doctors in several joint surgeries. Taliban officials described these activities as part of an effort to exchange expertise and enhance the technical capacity of the country’s healthcare workforce.

Jalali described the visit as “the beginning of a new chapter in health cooperation” between the two countries, emphasizing that making targeted use of existing resources and creating opportunities for professional development are priorities for the Ministry.

According to the agreement, a number of Afghan healthcare and medical staff will travel to Kazakhstan for practical and specialised training, which officials say could play a significant role in improving the quality of medical services within Afghanistan.

This cooperation comes at a time when foreign aid has declined since the Taliban takeover, leaving Afghanistan’s healthcare system struggling with funding shortages, reduced medical equipment, and challenges in paying medical staff.

Experts note that while bilateral training programmes with countries like Kazakhstan can help address some gaps, they cannot fully meet the structural and equipment needs of Afghanistan’s under-resourced healthcare system.

Nevertheless, the Taliban Ministry of Public Health hopes that increased regional cooperation will alleviate some of the pressure on the country’s health system and facilitate professional development opportunities for Afghan doctors and medical personnel.