In Afghanistan, the leader of the "Taliban," Haibatullah Akhundzada, has signed a decree establishing a faculty dedicated to "traditional prophetic medicine" at the Kabul University of Medical Sciences. This became known through information posted on the website of the Ministry of Higher Education, which is under Taliban control, stating that the structure of the new department has already been approved and is ready to operate. Details can be found on the Amu.tv website.
As explained by representatives of the ministry, the main task of the new faculty is to meet the growing demand for research and education in the field of folk healing methods. Despite the fact that traditional medicine has been practiced in the country for many years, it has not yet been integrated into the official educational system and regulation. This lack of a unified training and control system has hindered the recognition of this field as part of the national healthcare.
It is reported that the Taliban plan to standardize folk medicine and integrate it into the national healthcare system, relying on international recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), which were voiced during a recent conference in India. This underscores the Taliban's desire to align local practices with international norms.
Interestingly, this expansion of educational opportunities occurs against a backdrop of significant international criticism of the Taliban. Currently, there is a continued ban on women obtaining higher education in Afghanistan, including in medical and healthcare fields. International humanitarian organizations and medical professionals express serious concern: the exclusion of women from medical universities could lead to a severe shortage of female medical personnel, which in turn would deprive millions of Afghan women and children of access to necessary medical care.
