Afghanistan Faces Severe Health System Collapse Under Taliban Rule

Afghanistan Faces Severe Health System Collapse Under Taliban Rule
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International reports warn of a deepening collapse in Afghanistan’s healthcare system since the Taliban’s return to power, leaving millions with limited access to medical services. The decline has fueled a surge in chronic diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and respiratory illnesses, alongside a sharp rise in mental health disorders and suicide rates, particularly among women and girls.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases account for 43% of all deaths in Afghanistan, a figure projected to reach 60% by 2030. Heart and vascular diseases alone claim more than 40,000 lives annually, while late-detected cancers, especially breast and cervical cancer among women, remain a critical concern.

WHO also estimates that one in five Afghans suffers from mental health conditions, driven by decades of conflict, natural disasters, forced displacement, and Taliban restrictions. Returning refugees from Iran and Pakistan are among the most affected, with nearly half reporting anxiety, depression, or trauma.

Taliban policies have worsened the crisis by restricting women’s access to healthcare and limiting female doctors’ ability to work without male guardians. Male physicians are barred from treating women, further narrowing options for patients. Rights groups say these measures, combined with scarce mental health services, risk triggering a full-scale humanitarian disaster that threatens Afghanistan’s social stability and long-term future.