KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education announced Monday the establishment of a new medical faculty at Ghazni University, following a directive from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Ziaullah Hashimi, a Taliban spokesperson for the ministry, said the faculty would expand access to medical education for students across the country. However, no details were provided regarding admissions, curriculum, or faculty recruitment.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of Taliban restrictions on female education. In a decree issued last year, Akhundzada banned women from pursuing medical studies — one of the last fields in which some girls had continued to enroll following earlier bans on secondary and higher education.
Ghazni University, established in 2008, began with programs in education and agriculture. It has since expanded to include faculties in Islamic law, economics, and literature. The addition of a medical program represents a significant institutional milestone, but it remains unclear whether women will be allowed to participate.
Rights groups and public health experts have warned that excluding women from medical education will further weaken Afghanistan’s already fragile healthcare system, particularly in rural areas where cultural norms prevent women from being treated by male physicians.
