May. 19, 2013

War on Terror

Transformation

News Products

Press Resources

Images

Websites

Contact Us

Health Care   In 2001, only 8 percent of Afghanistan’s population had access to health care. The maternal mortality rate was the highest in the world. There was no health-care infrastructure to speak of. Today:  • At least 80 percent of the population has access to at least basic health care.  • More than 500 health clinics have been built and serve 340,000 patients per month. These clinics reach approximately 7.4 million citizens.  • For rural areas, at least 2,000 community health workers have been trained, and they treat an additional 150,000 people per month.  • Since 2004, full immunization for children 1–2 years of age has increased 150 percent, to 37 percent of the population. The United States has helped vaccinate at least 5 million children.  • The United States has treated 700,000 cases of malaria.  • To combat childhood polio, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization provided vaccinations of 9.9 million children. Economics   After 25 years of war, the economy of Afghanistan in 2001 was almost non-existent. There was no centralized government to institute economic policies, and little infrastructure — not even a formal banking system. What commerce there was existed outside of any domestic or international structure. There were few opportunities available to Afghans to better their situation. Today:  • The Afghanistan economy was valued at $2.4 billion in 2002. The number for 2006 is $7.3 billion, and projected to rise to $8.8 billion next year.  • Per capita income has doubled since 2001.  • The government of Afghanistan collected more than $177 million in revenue in 2002–2003, and $300 million in 2004–2005, an increase of 70 percent. President Karzai estimates the revenue for 2005–2006 will be $500 million.  • More than 3 million land deeds and more than 55,000 businesses have been registered since 2001. At least 85 percent of all property deeds have been restored or reorganized, decreasing land-ownership disputes.  • There is now a Central Bank with 32 computerized provincial branches. The Central Bank has $2 billion in foreign reserves.  • More than 10,000 kilometers of road have been built or improved since the Taliban fell. And at least 3,000 kilometers more are under construction.  • The average speed on most roads has increased 300 percent.  • The completion of the Kabul-Kandahar highway improved transportation for 30 percent of country, and reduced travel times for those two cities from 15 hours to 6 hours.  • The U.S. portion of the Kandahar-Herat highway has reduced travel time between those two major cities from 10 hours to 4.3 hours.  • Rehabilitation of the Kajaki Dam and surrounding transmission lines will bring power to 1.7 million Afghans in a critical security area.  • According to the World Bank, Afghanistan ranks near the top of all nations in ease of starting a business.  • Coca-Cola opened a $25 million bottling plant in Kabul, which employs approximately 500 Afghans.  • Ford, 3M, and Boeing are examining business opportunities in Afghanistan.  • Wherever the infrastructure and security situation is improved, what little support there is for the Taliban continues to decline.  • Numerous structural-improvement projects are ongoing, and many others are planned and have funding committed for them.   BACK NEXT

	Site Map	Privacy & Security Notice	About DoD	External Link Disclaimer	Web Policy	About DefenseLINK	FirstGov.gov