Afghan Minister of Public Health visits Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. (April 26, 2012) – The Minister of Public Health Dr. Suraya Dalil visited Washington D.C. from April 22-25 to discuss the significance of health care as a major component of development in Afghanistan at a variety of events. She was also interviewed by several news organizations during her visit, including Pazhwak News Agency, Arianna TV, Voice of America (English and Dari sections), and Reuters.

Her Excellency met with several U.S. officials during her visit including Melane Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues; Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary of State, Population, Refugees and Migration; and Alex Thier, the Assistant to the Administrator for the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs at USAID.

On April 25, Minister Dalil and Assistant Secretary Richard signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a ceremony with Ambassador Hakimi and officials from the State Department and USAID in attendance, representing a sustained cooperative effort on behalf of the U.S. and Afghan governments to improve the health sector in Afghanistan.

At a ceremony held at the Kennedy Caucus Room with over 100 people in attendance, including members of Congress and USAID Administrator, Minister Dalil received an award from USAID for her efforts towards improving public health in Afghanistan.

Minister Dalil expressed her gratitude to the U.S. Government for the support provided to Afghanistan and its health sector through USAID over the past ten years and stressed the importance of sustained U.S. assistance to the country. She also described concrete examples of successes, such as the Basic Package of Health Services Program (BPHS), strengthened capacity building, and reduced maternal death in Afghanistan.

In her presentation at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Minister Dalil focused on the achievements and challenges of Afghanistan’s public health system and highlighted key findings of the recent Afghanistan Mortality Survey.

When addressing the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council, she discussed the linkage between girl’s education and empowerment, security, and economy. The Minister was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Council recognizing her efforts toward improving public health in Afghanistan.

Finally, in honor of the Minister’s visit, the Embassy of Afghanistan hosted a dinner event that was attended by Assistant Secretary Richard, a USAID team and representatives from the Afghan Medical Professionals Association of America.