Futures Group & Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health Establish Public-Private Forum

With support from the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, Futures Group and the Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan have partnered on an initiative to establish the Public-Private Dialogue Forum, to engage public and private sectors in discussions on health concerns, policies and regulations.

The Forum represents development in Afghanistan’s efforts to improve healthcare for citizens, maximizing health resources and increasing access to open up opportunities to partner with private health services, the Ministry said in a statement.

Omarzaman Sayedi, deputy chief of party and program director for Futures Group and team leader for the Health Policy Project in Afghanistan, said that the Public-Private Dialogue Forum has provided a successful platform to bring issues to the attention of senior management, allowing them to determine how to simplify procedures and protocols.

“[Futures] helps the Ministry of Public Health engage in effective ways with the private sector, implementing policies and helping them develop these policies so that the private sector becomes a real and effective partner for the ministry,” said Sayedi.

Ahmad Jan Naeem, deputy minister of policy and planning emphasized the many ways that the dialogue is helpful.

“For several years the public and private health sectors had different views and ideas, but now we [consider] each other as part of a system,” said Naeem.

Forum members have helped to speed along approval of the minimum required standards for private hospitals, making progress in the ongoing development of policy and legal framework for regulations in the private sector.

The forum meets quarterly, offering an opportunity for leaders in the private health sector to meet with Minister of Public Health Suraya Dalil, who chairs the gatherings.

Dalil praised the forum’s role in strengthening public and private sector relations.

“I am really interested to work closely with the private health sector to strengthen the health system and do something for the patients and people of Afghanistan,” said Dalil. “I recognize the private health sector as a member and working partner of the Ministry of Public Health.”

Sayedi adds that with the help of the private sector and the work that the Futures Group does, he believes it won’t be long before the Afghan people enjoy the same quality of health care as anywhere else in the world.

“Looking forward, as a result of all the ongoing efforts, the private sector will actually prepare and provide the high-quality services within the country that are now only available outside Afghanistan,” said Sayedi. “I’m very confident that in 10 years from now, people will be in a situation where they won’t need to travel to foreign countries to receive high-quality health care.”