Afghanistan needs 2.3bn euro

Date: 04/04/02

By Martin Banks

AN ESTIMATED €2.3 billion will be needed to help rebuild health services in war-torn Afghanistan over the next 5-10 years, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dr Wilfred Kreisel, WHO's executive director in Brussels, says last week's devastating earthquake in the remote northern Afghan province of Baghlan has made a bad situation even worse.

More than 20 years of civil war have almost wiped out the country's health infrastructure and his €2.3 billion estimate is on top of €70 million needed immediately for emergency aid.

WHO is currently working with the World Bank in Brussels to put together a health plan for the country.

'There are, of course, many pressing needs in Afghanistan, such as security, but health has got to be one of, if not the most, important issue,' said Kreisel.

'The country's health services have been totally destroyed. It means the Afghans have some of the poorest rates for life expectancy and child mortality in the world.' The average life expectancy of an Afghan is just 46 years, says WHO.

Speaking at the European Parliament, Kreisel said: 'What is needed now is to start rebuilding the whole system from the bottom up at the micro-level.'

The World Health Organisation estimated in April 2002 that € 2.3 billion will be needed to help Afghanistan re-build itself over the next 10-15 years.