Topic: 2024-Spread of Animal Viruses
Country: Afghanistan
Delegate Name: Reid Osieki
Delegation of Afghanistan
World Health Organization (WHO)
Topic: Spread of Animal Viruses
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan recognizes the serious global threat posed by zoonotic diseases and their potential to cause widespread health crises. Afghanistan acknowledges its vulnerability to the emergence and rapid spread of such diseases, given its agrarian-based economy and close interactions between humans and livestock. However, the delegation underscores the importance of respecting national sovereignty and the unique challenges faced by developing nations when addressing these issues.
Afghanistan reaffirms its commitment to building effective national capacities through targeted investments in veterinary infrastructure, a nationwide disease surveillance network, and increased public awareness of health-related issues. While the delegation acknowledges the value of international partnerships, particularly with organizations like the WHO and FAO, it emphasizes that such collaborations must align with national priorities and cultural contexts to ensure strategies are durable and well-suited to local conditions.
The delegation further stresses that early warning systems and capacity-building programs in high-risk areas should focus on empowering national institutions. Afghanistan calls for the fair distribution of resources among WHO member states, particularly for countries with underdeveloped healthcare infrastructures, to enable equitable and transparent collaboration.
Afghanistan is open to cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries to address the spread of zoonotic diseases. However, such efforts must remain strictly within the framework of bilateral agreements and should not compromise Afghanistan’s autonomy. The delegation also urges WHO member states to invest in targeted research on zoonotic diseases in underserved regions, ensuring that the resulting benefits—both in outcomes and resources—reach vulnerable populations and do not exacerbate global inequalities.
