National Environmental Health Strategy 2012-2015.

The Policy provides an overview and outline of the Afghanistan Government strategies for environmental health for the period of 2012 to 2015. The National Environmental Health Strategy is drafted based on the Ministry of Health’ Strategic Plan for 2012 to 2015 in order to improve environmental health condition in the country. The Policy covers 7 main strategies: management and leadership (I); water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) (II); food safety (III); preserving environmental health (IV); occupational health (V); houses and cities’ safety (VI); radiation protection (V). The Policy sets out national priorities to tackle difficulties associate with national environmental health, including unhealthy drinking water, insufficient facilities and infrastructure, water and sewage system, hazardous waste, chemical pollution, air pollution, and improper transportation of food in different levels of production, preparation, storage, and supply. To improve the efficiency of projects in the field of environmental health, the Ministry of Public Health shall follow a number of fundamental principles in all its activities: right to health; participation and cooperation; public partnership; decision-making based on well-established facts; result-oriented approach; high quality of work; transparency; sustainable development; dignity and respect; justice and fairness; equality. The Policy provides background information on the existing situation of the country with regard to any of the above-mentioned strategies. The Policy also sets out strategic objectives for each strategy. In the field of management and leadership, main objectives include: to establish an environmental health’s evaluation system; to create a surveillance system; to draft relevant policies, legislation, regulations and guidelines; to improve public awareness on the subject; to strengthen the role of Ministry of Public Health and proper distribution of responsibilities and authorities; to harmonize the activities of various authorities in national and regional level. Regarding the second strategy, i.e. water, hygiene, and cleanness (WASH), three main objectives have been set out: to encourage use of safe drinking water to reduce difficulties associated with diseases caused by unhealthy water; to improve public health, sanitation, and hygiene; to facilitate public access to the clean drinking water. With regard to the third objective, the Policy provides detail for a safe and approved method of water purification using chlorine. There are two strategic objectives under the umbrella of the food safety strategy: to ensure the safety of the homemade food products based on international standards through an increase in public awareness and constant cooperation with food suppliers; to increase food safety methods to combat diseases caused by unhealthy food products and improvement of quality control laboratories. For radiation protection, two objectives have been set out: to create a multi-sectoral association to improve national standards on protection of people and environment against radiation; to increase the safety of radiative/ nuclear equipment. To increase the houses and cities health situation the following strategic objectives should be achieved: to control the number and health condition of stray dogs in cities; to manage solid and medical waste; to reduce air pollution through the creation of a national framework for the reduction of air pollution; to reduce noise pollution. With regards to the occupational health strategy, the Policy sets out a number of objectives: improve occupational health and job safety in all working areas through policymaking, education, and training; protect public health staff against diseases associated with their job. The Ministry of Public Health is the principal authority responsible to implement the provisions of this Policy and harmonize the activities of all engaged institutes and departments.