Following is the text of a health update from the World Health Organization:

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

WHO Health Update

Afghanistan 04 Feb 2002

In Kabul, an important meeting to design the new structure of the Afghan Ministry of Health is currently under way. Rebuilding the health system is one of the greatest priorities in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The World Health Organization's mandate is to develop the capacity of Afghans to provide health services for their own population. An essential first step towards building this professional capacity is now being taken as the Ministry of Public Health holds its first planning session to develop a functional structure and to designate the roles and responsibilities of each department.

The workshop is bringing together more than forty representatives of the health sector; including directors of major hospitals, UN agencies, government officials and key NGOs for three days of talks. The meeting is hosted by the Ministry of Public Health and funded by the World Health Organization.

Developing clearly designated responsibilities for each Health Ministry department is especially important because of the likelihood of an increase of the number of new external players on the scene offering assistance to the health sector. Already there are dozens of international and national NGOs, UN agencies and international organizations providing much needed health services throughout Afghanistan.

External support is crucial for the Afghan health sector, but requires careful coordination to avoid duplication and misallocation of resources. For the Afghan recovery process to be a truly Afghan-driven exercise, the Ministry of Health must be in a position to coordinate the work being carried out in the health sector. In the future, NGOs seeking to work with mother and child health, for example, will first consult with the appropriate department within the Ministry before setting up its programme. This will enable the Ministry to gain a clear overview of the health work being carried out, and to identify potential gaps.

In addition, millions of dollars in donor funding is expected in the upcoming months to jumpstart the rehabilitation process. For the Afghan Ministry of Public Health to be in a position to absorb these new funds, there must be a clear and transparent financial system in place. The World Health Organization is working to build the capacity of the Ministry of Health to receive and allocate these resources in the most efficient manner possible.

Ensuring Afghans have access to the health care they require will depend on a close collaboration between UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and above all, the Afghans themselves. That is why the Ministry of Public Health is moving rapidly towards developing the type of structure needed to serve the Afghan population and meet the requirements of the donor community.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization sub-office in Jalalabad reports that the regional Leishmania Control Center for the Eastern Region of Afghanistan is currently treating 2, 679 cases of leishmaniasis. About a fourth of the cases are referred from Kabul and IDP camps; the rest are from the Jalalabad region. Leishmaniasis is a skin disease caused by a parasite transmitted by the sandfly. Although not deadly in most cases, it does lead to disfigurement on the exposed parts of the body, including the face. Scarring and further spread of leishmaniasis is reduced by early diagnosis and treatment. The best protection against leishmaniasis is to follow the same guidelines indicated in anti-malaria measures, such as sleeping under impregnated bednets.