26 April 2010 - At a press conference in Kabul today, Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General for Health Action in Crises, World Health Organization (WHO) and Peter Graaff,  WHO Country Representative also said more needs to be done to reduce infant and maternal mortality, and in areas of emergency planning and access. - Full transcript

The World Health Organization's Assistant Director-General for Health Action in Crises, Dr Eric Laroche, is calling today for an intensified response to Afghanistan's humanitarian health challenges.

Dr Laroche, the former UNICEF representative to Afghanistan during 2001 and 2002, says millions of Afghans are vulnerable to a wide range of acute and complex emergencies, including natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, and conflict, particularly in parts of the country's south.

"Much has been achieved in recent years to expand health care in many parts of thecountry, but we still see today that many Afghans remain extremely vulnerable to a wide range of humanitarian emergencies, and more needs to be done to protect them," Dr Laroche says.

This includes making more doctors, nurses, midwives and health facilities available in more parts of the country, particularly remote districts and villages in areas such as Badakshan and the Central Highlands. Insecurity in southern parts of Afghanistan has severely restricted access to health services for hundreds of thousands of people in Helmand, Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces in particular.

"WHO wants to help all people who are committed to alleviating humanitarian suffering in Afghanistan," Dr Laroche says. "This can be done by better preparing for emergencies, increasing access to communities isolated by harsh terrain, natural disasters and conflict, and expanding the coverage of health services in the country."

WHO co-chairs the Health Cluster-grouping of international and local humanitarian bodies with the Ministry of Public Health. The Health Cluster, including partner NGOs, is providing emergency health services for 500,000 people throughout Afghanistan. WHO also works closely with Afghan authorities at all levels in many health fields, including disease surveillance and control of vaccine preventable diseases, TB and malaria, and health system development including training health workers and providing technical guidance on health issues.

While in Afghanistan, Dr Laroche has met with senior government officials, including the Second Vice President and the Minister of Public Health. He visited the capital of Samangan province, part of which was struck by a recent earthquake, for talks with local authorities on the response to the emergency and to offer support. Dr Laroche is also meeting with members of the international and national humanitarian community active in Afghanistan.