Ministries of Public Health and Higher Education Sign Cooperation Agreement

The Ministry of Public Health announced on Tuesday that it signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Higher Education to expand scientific, research, educational and technical cooperation.

At the signing ceremony in Kabul, Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health, said the agreement would lead to significant improvements in capacity-building for students and doctors, ensure research is conducted based on evidence and enable the collection of accurate data.

Neda Mohammad Nadeem, Minister of Higher Education, described the agreement as beneficial to the public and both institutions, stressing the need to train individuals at universities who can contribute to social development and make the country self-sufficient in the public health sector.

Separately, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) convened a new round of Doha Process Working Group meetings in Kabul on February 3 and 9, focusing on counter-narcotics and private sector development. The meetings brought together representatives of UN member states, international organizations, officials of the Islamic Emirate and subject-matter experts.

UNAMA stated that counter-narcotics discussions centered on Islamic Emirate efforts and international support for alternative livelihoods for those previously dependent on poppy cultivation and the opium trade, as well as drug-use prevention, treatment and law-enforcement measures. The private sector group addressed job creation, entrepreneurship, women's participation, market integration, access to finance and private banking development.

The working groups, established after the third Meeting of Special Envoys in Doha in June and July 2024, aim to promote coordinated engagement with Afghanistan's de facto authorities.

In another development, at a regular meeting of the Economic Commission chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the National Policy for the Development of the Agriculture and Livestock Sector was approved. A statement from the deputy prime minister's office said the policy's objectives include mechanization of agriculture and livestock, development of research and extension systems, irrigation management, investment support and ensuring public access to high-quality products.

The meeting also approved the development plan for the fish farming sector, under which private sector investment will support 7,700 small, medium and large fish production and facilities.