Healthcare

Dunya Oncology Hospital Initiative

HEALTHCARE · KABUL Kabul · Afghanistan

A future-ready centre for accessible cancer diagnosis, treatment, training and research in Afghanistan.

Concept visualisation of the future Dunya Healthcare Centre in Kabul

42.6 m: people in 2025Projected: 76.8 million in 2050
63.8%: of the population is under 25One of the youngest populations in the region
23,750: new cancer cases in 2022GLOBOCAN 2022 · men and women combined
16,712: cancer deaths in 2022Healthcare capacity remains far below demand

Together with local healthcare partners, BD+P and international specialists, Khan Foundation is developing an integrated approach to oncology care. The initiative connects medical quality with reliable infrastructure, local training, digital systems and a sustainable operating model.

Challenging the impossible — From a fragmented healthcare landscape to a resilient national model for cancer care.

WHY THIS IS NEEDED

The oncology challenge

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among non-communicable diseases. Cases may nearly double by 2040, while specialist capacity and reliable national data remain limited.

New casesDeaths

Men

10,984

31 per day

8,258

23 per day

Most common: stomach, lung, brain/CNS, oral cavity and leukaemia.

Women

12,766

36 per day

8,454

23 per day

Most common: breast, cervix uteri, stomach, colorectal and ovarian.

No national cancer registry

Data are fragmented and underreporting makes planning and prevention difficult.

Shortage of specialists

Capacity in pathology, radiology, radiotherapy and medical physics is limited.

Diagnostics under pressure

Outdated facilities mean that some tests must be carried out abroad.

INTEGRATED APPROACH

Dunya's 15 pillars

The hospital is more than a building. Fifteen connected pillars link quality of care, operations, infrastructure, community and long-term resilience.

DUNYA HEALTHCARE CENTRE15 pillarsKabul

Resilient infrastructure
Medical supply chain
Sustainable workforce
Governance & compliance
Financial viability
Digital health systems
Medical waste & equipment
Training & capacity building
Community integration
Innovative service delivery
Regulation & licensing
Risk resilience
Gender integration
Public engagement
Operational strategy

FUTURE-READY

A robust healthcare infrastructure

Continuity of cancer care requires water, energy, waste management and the entire supply chain to be designed as one system.

AT THE CENTREDunya Healthcare CentreKabul

Water managementAvailability, treatment and reuse

Waste managementSafe disposal and infection prevention

Energy managementReliable and efficient energy supply

Supply chainHuman capital · medical hardware · pharmaceuticals · software & data

COLLABORATION

Work packages and consortium

Khan Foundation leads the project. Architects, healthcare experts, local partners and external legal, financial and environmental specialists collaborate across nine connected workstreams.

PROJECT LEADKhan Foundation

BD+PPlanning & design

Expert teamKhan Foundation

External expertiseLegal · financial · environmental

Governance & legal framework
Funding models
Human capital
Planning & design
Digital infrastructure
Community engagement
Risk & supply chain
Operations & scaling
Communication

PATH TO DELIVERY

Initiative phases

Each phase provides concrete decision-making information for partners, funders and the future hospital organisation.

Research & needsData, healthcare demand, location and conditions
Consortium & feasibilityPartners, governance, funding and risks
Design & preparationClinical programme, infrastructure and operating model
Delivery & scalingConstruction, training, commissioning and long-term management

Diagrams from the presentation

The original project presentation contains the demographic evidence, oncology analysis and proposed work structure.

Dunya Hospital presentation: demographics and oncology landscape — Demographics and oncology landscape

Dunya Hospital presentation: cancer burden and fifteen pillars — Cancer burden and the 15-pillar approach

Dunya Hospital presentation: infrastructure and work packages — Infrastructure, consortium and work packages

Dunya Hospital presentation: phases and expectations — Phases and expectations

Key figures are based on the supplied project presentation, including GLOBOCAN 2022. Further validation and local data collection form part of project preparation.

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