Afghanistan Technical Support Hub

Project Details

The Afghanistan Technical Support Hub, led by the Nossal Institute for Global Health, brings together leading expertise to help strengthen health systems and tackle public health and development challenges in Afghanistan. Drawing on specialists from the Nossal Institute, and broader networks across the University of Melbourne and Australian partners, the Hub provides targeted, practical support to address Afghanistan’s most urgent needs.

Afghanistan faces overlapping crises — including protracted conflict, economic instability, restrictions on women’s education and recurring public health emergencies — which have deepened vulnerabilities and strained the health system. Delivering health and wellbeing in this context requires understanding the complex interplay of political, social, cultural and economic factors that shape systems and community outcomes.

The Afghanistan Technical Support Hub offers a practical mechanism for engagement by consolidating expertise and leveraging institutional resources from the Nossal Institute, University of Melbourne, and our partners. Through applied research, technical support for policy development and capacity building with local partners, the Hub ensures interventions are context-specific and responsive to operational constraints. In a setting where travel restrictions and limited on-the-ground operations make value for money critical, the Hub coordinates advisory services, fosters partnerships and conducts evaluations to improve efficiency, accountability and impact.

The Hub aims to:

Strengthen partnerships to deliver high-quality support to Afghanistan across applied research, evidence generation, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, policy development, and other technical advisory services, and
Enhance learning, engagement and advocacy to ensure the evolving needs of the Afghan people remain visible within MSPGH, with donors, and among international partners.

The scope of work under the Hub reflects the Nossal Institute’s six practice areas, which include equity and inclusion, health system strengthening, One Health, risk, resilience and climate, prevention and management of health conditions and women’s health. As a team, and in collaboration with our partners, we:

Conduct applied research to address priority health challenges in Afghanistan
Design and deliver capacity-building and tailored education programs for Afghan professionals and institutions, covering key technical, thematic, and methodological areas
Provide monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) support, including study design, data collection guidance, quantitative and qualitative analysis, data synthesis, and development/review of frameworks and theories of change
Offer technical assistance on policy reform support and other advisory services across a range of health and development areas