KABUL: The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean of the World Health Organization and her accompanying delegation, here in Kabul, Deputy spokesman of the ministry Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said in a statement on Monday.
Welcoming the delegation, Minister Muttaqi added that the last four decades of wars have deprived the people of Afghanistan of health services, which attention should be paid to.
Mawlavi Muttaqi also talked about the joint fight against polio and other infectious diseases and asked the delegation to establish laboratories for the diagnosis of polio and other diseases.
Meanwhile, the regional head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, thanked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan for cooperating with the World Health Organization and providing work opportunities.
Providing information about the fourth ministerial meeting of “Strengthening Against Antimicrobials” in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, she added that she is trying to draw the attention of international health workers to Afghanistan.
Also, Christopher J. Ellis, Director of International Development of the Bill Gates Foundation, assured to jointly work in the eradication of polio in Afghanistan.
In the meeting, the UNICEF official for Afghanistan added that he is working together with the Afghan government in order to implement the project of transferring clean water from Panjshir to Kabul.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs added that the Islamic Emirate closely cooperates with international humanitarian organizations and pays attention to their safety.