Before the Taliban takeover on Aug 15, 2021, Afghanistan had made considerable progress
over two decades in increasing the coverage of health services and improving some
health indicators. Article 52 of the 2004 Afghanistan constitution states that “The
state shall provide free preventative healthcare and treatment of diseases as well
as medical facilities to all citizens in accordance with the provisions of the law”.1
The scope of the country s health services is defined by the Basic Package of Health
Services (BPHS) and the Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS).