Afghanistan signals shift toward India for medicines as Pakistan ties sour, with Kabul seeking reliable healthcare partners and New Delhi stepping up humanitarian and pharmaceutical support.
Afghanistan is increasingly looking to India as a key partner for its pharmaceutical and healthcare needs, with its relationship with Pakistan deteriorating and long-standing supply chains facing disruption, Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi during his visit for the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, Jalali said Pakistan had historically dominated Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical market but recent challenges had forced Kabul to seek alternative and more reliable partners.
“Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical supply market was 60–70 per cent taken by Pakistan. But now, due to recent issues, we have looked for alternative solutions to supply that gap, and India is one of them,” Jalali said, underlining a significant shift in Afghanistan’s healthcare sourcing strategy.
The Afghan minister made it clear that healthcare cooperation must remain insulated from political tensions, stressing that disease, not diplomacy, is his primary concern. “As the Minister of Public Health, I have only one enemy and that is disease. If I can hit my enemy with the help of any country, I will reach out for help and assistance,” he said.
Jalali openly acknowledged the strain in Kabul’s ties with Islamabad, noting that relations with Pakistan have “deteriorated,” while describing India as a trusted and dependable partner. “We have a strong relationship with India, and we are here to open a new chapter of cooperation and collaboration,” he said.
His remarks come amid broader regional realignments and underline India’s growing role as a humanitarian and health partner for Afghanistan, even as traditional supply routes through Pakistan face uncertainty.
During his visit, Jalali held extensive discussions with India’s Minister of State for AYUSH, Prataprao Jadhav, on expanding cooperation in traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy. The talks took place on the sidelines of the WHO summit and focused on people-centric and holistic healthcare approaches.
In a series of posts on X, India’s Ministry of Ayush said the discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment of both countries to promoting traditional medicine as an important pillar of healthcare delivery. The ministry noted that such collaboration could help strengthen Afghanistan’s public health system at a time of pressing need.
Jalali also met Union Health Minister JP Nadda, with talks centred on humanitarian assistance and long-term healthcare support for Afghanistan. During the meeting, India reiterated its commitment to continued medical and humanitarian aid, emphasising the sustained supply of essential medicines and vaccines.
As part of this engagement, India carried out a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan. Officials said the gesture reflected New Delhi’s ongoing support for the Afghan people, extending beyond diplomatic considerations.
India is also dispatching a larger consignment of medicines and vaccines, along with a 128-slice CT scanner, aimed at strengthening diagnostic and treatment capabilities within Afghanistan’s healthcare system.
The visit marked Jalali’s first official trip to India and was formally welcomed by the Ministry of External Affairs, highlighting India’s continued outreach to Afghanistan despite shifting regional dynamics. The engagement underscores New Delhi’s effort to position itself as a reliable partner in healthcare, humanitarian assistance and capacity-building for the Afghan people.
