Health in Afghanistan

Health in Afghanistan remains weak but steadily improving. It has been negatively affected by the nation's environmental issues and the decades of war since 1978. The Ministry of Public Health oversees all matters concerning the public health in all provinces of Afghanistan. Because much of the country is very cold during the winter, the number of its citizens getting sick is always higher in that season. Some Afghans live in modern homes and apartments in the cities while others in rural areas.

Despite being one of the least developed countries, Afghanistan has experienced major health improvements in the last decades, with life expectancy increasing from 56 to 66 years. Maternal mortality rate was reduced by half, with the rate estimated at 521 deaths per 100,000 live births, and the child mortality rate estimated at 55 deaths per 1,000 live births. Over 82% of the entire population has access to clean drinking water, with urban dwellers at 99%.

Afghanistan is one of the only two remaining countries that has not eradicated polio. Nearly 100,000 of its citizens face death each year from malnutrition and foodborne illness. In the same period about 16,000 die from various forms of cancer, and a similar number from tuberculosis. Over 1,000 die from diabetes and the same many in traffic collisions. Health officials stated in 2020 that around 5,000 Afghans died from air pollution, which has long been a problem in Kabul.