Public Health Budget Cut by $ 100 mln
The Ministry of Public Health vowed global health aid decreased by $ 100 million in the fiscal year.
The Ministry of Public Health vowed global health aid decreased by $ 100 million in the fiscal year.
The Afghan minister of health Feruzuddin Feruz said at a ceremony celebrating world’s health day in Kabul that global aid reduction and limiting financial sources in this sector, is counted as the major problem in providing health services.
According to him, the reduction of aids has affected the developing health programs in Afghanistan.
“Financial resources are falling every day for us and you, this year, the budget of public health cut by $ 100 million as the donors limited their aids,” the minister of public health said.
According to official statistics, the budget of the ministry of public health was $ 255 million last year; the budget fell to $ 150 million this year.
“The lack of funds in the health sector has led to a low annual cost for each Afghan citizen,” Mr Feruz added.
According to Ministry of Health figures, the annual cost of each Afghan citizen in the health sector is $ 5, while, even in some backward countries, this figure is more than $ 20.
The lack of monetary resources has made the Ministry of Health offer some suggestions in order to increase budgets in this sector.
Mr. Feruz said the Ministry of Health has offered the government plans to increase sugar and tobacco taxes in order to increase the domestic financial resources for the health sector.
However, according to the World Bank, health services have improved in recent years in Afghanistan, but this entity believes that Afghanistan has a long way to provide health services with global standards.
