Officials at the Ministry of Public Health, in a reporting program on Saturday, said the establishment of health centers in districts, the improvement of health services, equipping Jumhuriat Hospital, controlling contagious diseases, eradicating polio, and launching capacity-building programs are the key priorities of the ministry for the current year.

Sharafat Zaman Amarkhail, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, stated that the signing of cooperation agreements with 180 healthcare institutions across the country and the registration of 184 active institutions in the health sector were other achievements of the ministry in the past year.

Amarkhail said, "We strive to align health services with the needs of citizens. The expansion of health services, the establishment of treatment centers, the provision of equipment for malnourished patients in districts, and the strengthening of the monitoring system, are our focus. Based on this, hospitals will be constructed in nearly 30 districts this year."

Officials from the Ministry of Public Health said that Afghanistan has achieved self-sufficiency in serum production, and last year, a significant amount of serum was exported to Arab countries. Amarkhail mentioned that in the past year, the vaccination rate increased from 65% to 80%, with more than 8 million children and mothers receiving vaccines.

The spokesperson said, "Regarding vaccine coverage, which was previously at 65%, it has now increased to 80%, and a total of over 8 million children and mothers have been vaccinated."

He further stated that in the past year, 25,302 units of imported medicines and health products were granted entry permits, 2,316 units of domestically produced medicines were released to the market, and licenses were issued to 15 pharmaceutical factories, 151 drug production companies, 179 wholesalers, and 2,468 pharmacists.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Planning and Development at the Ministry of Public Health stated in this program that the issuance of activity licenses to 3,489 healthcare workers, the provision of health services to prisoners in 34 provinces, the registration and approval of 1,056 different types of medicines to support domestic production, the registration of over 1,500 new doctors, and more than 3,000 medical doctors and over 200 dentists were among the major achievements of the ministry in the past year.

Mohammad Hassan Ghiasi, Deputy Minister of Planning and Health Development at the Ministry of Public Health, said: "In 34 provinces of the country, doctors have been stationed in prisons, and 24-hour health services are provided to prisoners. A total of 3,498 medical doctors, over 210 dentists, and 1,565 newly registered young doctors have been employed."

The spokesperson of the ministry also stated that in the past year, ministry officials have undertaken fourteen official trips to various countries and have signed cooperation agreements with 180 healthcare institutions within the country.