The Ministry of Higher Education announced on Saturday that 1,008 engineers graduated from Kabul Polytechnic University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Minister of Higher Education, said the graduates bear responsibility toward the system, society, and their families, and emphasized the importance of continuing education and lifelong learning.

“A graduation certificate is not given to you as an ordinary piece of paper; rather, it is a great trust, and from now on you carry major responsibilities toward the system, society, and your families,” he said.

The graduates include 757 engineers from the bachelor’s programs and 251 engineers from the master’s programs.

The Ministry of Public Health said on Saturday that it had held a meeting to coordinate and effectively implement a plan to halt the import of medicines from Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Directorates of Pharmaceutical Services, Licensing of Pharmaceutical Facilities, and Document Analysis and Regulation of Activities under the Food and Drug Deputy Ministry of the Ministry of Public Health.

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on alternative measures, including assessing the domestic market, managing existing stockpiles, facilitating imports from approved countries, and holding technical meetings to ensure that the supply of medicines is not disrupted and that people have continued access to safe, standard-quality medicines.

The ministry added that officials stressed the plan should be implemented in a gradual and carefully considered manner so that pharmaceutical services are not disrupted and the public interest is safeguarded.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the health situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating as winter deepens, leaving millions increasingly vulnerable.

Over the past three months, WHO has delivered 223 metric tons of essential medicines and medical supplies to 193 health facilities across 25 provinces, the agency said. The supplies are intended to treat respiratory infections, measles, severe acute malnutrition among children, and other urgent health conditions.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization, with support from international partners, was working to expand access to healthcare and save lives across the country.

Health experts caution that without additional international assistance, the humanitarian and health crisis could worsen during the winter months. Earlier, UN Deputy Secretary-General Tom Fletcher warned that 1.7 million Afghan children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition and said further cuts in aid risk deepening the crisis.