Healthcare collapse in Afghanistan due to political crises, natural catastrophes, and dearth of international aid post-COVID

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Afghanistan's foreign aid-dependent health sector deteriorated with the withdrawal of United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces due to the sudden fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban. Although there have been fewer net war-related casualties recently, many people continue to die due to inaccessibility to basic medical care. Political turmoil, catastrophic natural disasters, and the lack of international support have collectively contributed to the collapse of Afghanistan’s health care systems