Afghanistan and Kazakhstan are set to strengthen their relationship as Kabul presses for enhanced health-sector cooperation as part of a broader bilateral push which includes infrastructure, trade and humanitarian aid ties.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, met with Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Kabul, Gaziz Akbasov on Thursday (21 August) in the Afghan capital, and discussed key topics such as healthcare worker training, extending services to remote areas, supplying medical equipment, and exchanging expertise in controlling communicable diseases.
The Minister emphasised that Afghanistan is building general hospitals in 318 districts “to reduce the deaths of mothers and children and to provide standard and equal health services to all citizens”, according to the Ministry’s press release. He urged Kazakhstan to supply equipment for new health centres or invest in hospital construction, particularly in northern provinces.
Ambassador Akbasov acknowledged Afghanistan as a “friendly country” and confirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to continue health-sector cooperation, committing to training Afghan health professionals and dispatching technical teams.
This health-sector initiative fits within a wider pattern of growing ties. Earlier this year, Kazakhstan pledged increased humanitarian support, improvements in Afghan access to medical services, doubled scholarships for Afghan students, and expanded food security efforts. Kazakhstan also announced plans to expand trade, boosting exports of agricultural, industrial goods, and fuels, and to invest in the Turghundi–Herat railway to enhance regional connectivity.
Reports confirm Kazakhstan’s aim to raise bilateral trade to U.S. $ 3 billion annually by deepening transport, agriculture, and digital infrastructure cooperation. Additional transportation talks include establishing direct flights between Kabul and Astana and formalising international road transport agreements.
Previously, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu visited Kabul in July to discuss the Trans‑Afghan railway and infrastructure cooperation.
Kazakhstan’s humanitarian support extends to food aid, medical supply deliveries, and educational access programmes. This aligns with their ongoing advocacy for regional stability and development goals, such as support for a United Nations Regional Centre for Sustainable Development in Almaty, envisioned to serve Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The health meeting underscores a critical need as Afghanistan remains one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates in Asia. Strengthening healthcare infrastructure and partnerships is vital say authorities. Analysts argue that Kazakhstan’s support could yield lasting benefits amid dwindling international aid.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin was wearing thin, although he stopped short of th...
A suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in Utah has been apprehended, U.S. President Donald Trump confir...
As OPEC marks its 65th anniversary, the organisation reflects on its role in shaping global energy, promoting stability, and ensuring oil remains vita...
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticized the European trio of France, Germany and the UK for referring their nuclear dispute wi...
India's retail inflation (INCPIY=ECI) rose to 2.07% in August as food prices edged up, although it remained within the central bank's tolerance range ...
Nearly a week after a magnitude 6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, more than 2,200 people have died and tens of thousands are homeless. Residents of Bambakot and other villages are living under tents, too afraid to return to their damaged homes.
The death toll from Sunday’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen above 2,200, with search and rescue operations ongoing. Local officials warn that many people remain trapped under rubble, and the number of fatalities is likely to climb further.
Afghanistan’s interim administration unveiled a five-year 'Development Strategy' on Tuesday aimed at creating jobs and promoting balanced development.
Pakistan has begun expelling documented Afghan refugees weeks before its 1 September deadline, the UN refugee agency says, warning that the early removals breach international law and could uproot more than one million people.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
The volume of water in the Northern Aral has reached 24.1 billion cubic metres, surpassing the 2025 target by a wide margin according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, which announced that the sea is making a remarkable comeback, and doing so faster than anticipated.
Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have signed a new trade agreement worth $2 million, further expanding economic ties between the two countries.
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan highlighted Azerbaijan’s desire to prevent future threats, while stressing the importance for Armenia to unblock communications and participate in the Zangezur Corridor project.
Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, engaged in extensive discussions at the U.S. Congress on strategic partnership, regional issues, and global peace initiatives.
The Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijan’s Academy of Sciences (ANAS) have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vatican Apostolic Library and Archive to preserve and digitise documents on Azerbaijani history, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment