Taliban Health Minister to Visit India Next Week

DID Press: Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali, the Taliban administration’s Minister of Public Health, is scheduled to visit India around December 17, marking the third ministerial-level visit from the Taliban government to New Delhi within the past three months.

Previously, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India in October, followed by Trade Minister Nooruddin Azizi in November. These diplomatic engagements come amid expanding health and humanitarian cooperation between Afghanistan and India, with New Delhi continuing to provide extensive assistance to the Afghan population.

India has played a significant role in Afghanistan’s healthcare sector over the past years. Key initiatives include the establishment of a thalassemia center, a modern diagnostic facility, and upgrades to the heating system at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul. Ongoing projects also include plans to build a 30-bed hospital in Bagram district, a cancer center, a trauma center, and five maternal health clinics. In addition, India has supplied approximately 75 prosthetic limbs to Afghan citizens.

In November, India also delivered more than 16 tons of medicines to Afghanistan to combat insect-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and leishmaniasis.

The visit comes as Afghanistan seeks to diversify its sources of medical supplies and equipment and reduce its reliance on Pakistan—dependencies that have faced growing challenges due to recent border tensions and trade restrictions.