The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Wednesday he met with the Taliban’s health minister Qalander Ebad for talks on the “dire” health and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Ebad is part of a Taliban delegation visiting Geneva for a week of talks with institutions and non-governmental agencies on humanitarian access and human rights, as Afghanistan’s new rulers expand their international engagement.
Tedros had already met Ebad during his visit to Kabul in September 2021 in the wake of the Taliban takeover. “Despite some improvements since then, the health situation in Afghanistan is still dire and the acute humanitarian crisis is continuing to put lives at risk,” said Tedros. He said they discussed health needs in the country, strengthening the system, emergency preparedness and training.
