As Afghanistan’s health infrastructure crumbles, read how India is helping the country after Taliban banned Pakistan’s poor-quality medicines

The situation for ordinary people in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly difficult under the Taliban rule. Amidst the ongoing border dispute with Pakistan, the Taliban regime’s complete ban on the import of Pakistani medicines has created a severe shortage of essential drugs in the country. People are desperately searching for even the most basic medications.

Having been betrayed by Pakistan, Afghanistan is now looking to India for support. Expressing their trust in India, a country that has always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Afghan people, Taliban’s Health Minister, Noor Jalal Jalali, arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday (December 16, 2025).

Afghanistan bans the import of medicines from Pakistan

Just a few days ago, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy head of the Taliban-led government in Kabul and in charge of economic affairs, announced a ban on the import of all medicines from Pakistan. Baradar described the quality of Pakistani medicines as “poor” and instructed Afghan importers to settle all outstanding payments with Pakistani companies within three months and arrange for supplies from alternative countries.

However, the ground reality is that finding new suppliers is proving extremely difficult for Afghanistan. According to Noorullah Noori, Director General of Administrative Affairs in the Taliban government, more than 70% of the medicines in Afghanistan have so far been imported from Pakistan. The sudden ban has had a direct impact on ordinary citizens, who are finding it difficult to access even basic medicines.

Afghanistan’s Crumbling Health System Under Double Burden

For decades, Afghanistan has been able to produce only a very small fraction of the medicines it needs. The country suffers from a weak pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure, a severe shortage of pharmaceutical laboratories, ineffective quality control systems, and frequent disruptions to its supply chain. These shortcomings have made Afghanistan heavily reliant on imported medicines.

Even before the current crisis, Afghanistan’s healthcare system was extremely fragile. The situation worsened significantly after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. The country then faced a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by persistent droughts, devastating floods, and a near-total collapse of the economy.

The influx of hundreds of thousands of Afghans deported from Iran and Pakistan in recent months has pushed Afghanistan’s already weak healthcare system to the brink of collapse. Many of these returnees require immediate medical attention, but the limited resources of the healthcare system are proving insufficient to meet their needs.

According to recent data, approximately 1.86 million Afghans were deported from Iran between January and August, while more than 314,000 returned from Pakistan. This means that in just eight months, more than two million Afghan citizens have been forced to return to their country. The majority of these returnees require healthcare services.

According to the United Nations, nearly 22.9 million people, or almost half of the country’s total population of 46 million, are in need of humanitarian assistance. 16.8 million people have been identified as requiring aid, for which approximately US$2.42 billion is needed.

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid operations in Afghanistan are facing a severe funding shortage, aggravating an already critical situation. The country’s health system is extremely fragile, and access to healthcare remains uneven, particularly in rural areas. Limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of trained personnel have brought the entire health system to near collapse.

The frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases, serious maternal and child health issues, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases are contributing to increased rates of morbidity and mortality in Afghanistan. According to health experts, there is a significant risk of several diseases spreading in the coming months. These include acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), measles, polio, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), dengue, COVID-19, pertussis (whooping cough), and malaria.

Experts and humanitarian organisations warn that the situation in Afghanistan could become even more dire, with a surge in disease, deaths, and a mental health crisis, if immediate and adequate funding for health and humanitarian aid is not provided. A fragile healthcare system and ever-increasing needs are pushing the country towards a prolonged and profound humanitarian crisis.

Afghanistan needs India’s help to stay ‘healthy’

Following Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Industry and Commerce Minister Alhajj Nooruddin Azizi, Health Minister Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali also arrived in India. His visit is being considered crucial for assisting Afghanistan, which is grappling with a health crisis. India has been consistently working to strengthen Afghanistan’s healthcare infrastructure. Earlier this month, India sent 63,734 doses of influenza and meningitis vaccines to Afghanistan.

Earlier, on November 28, India sent 73 tons of life-saving medicines, vaccines, and essential supplies to meet Afghanistan’s health needs. The Ministry of External Affairs wrote on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), “Boosting Afghanistan’s healthcare efforts, India has sent 73 tons of life-saving medicines, vaccines, and essential supplementary materials to Kabul to address immediate medical requirements. India’s unwavering support for the Afghan people continues.”

Augmenting Afghanistan’s healthcare efforts.

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