Afghan Economy grows 3.4% in 2008/09.

Despite the international economic criss Afghan Economy is estimated to grow 3.4% in 2008/09. but many problems remain, accondding to World Bank estimations.

Almost 85 percent of the population now has access to primary health care. According to an independent survey, the quality of care has improved and the number of patients served has more than tripled. The under-5 mortality rate has also declined, saving the lives of some 80,000 children each year. More pregnant women now receive prenatal care, and the use of family planning has increased.

Nonetheless, up to 70 percent of Afghanistan’s estimated 26.6 million people are considered food-insecure by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Recently, high food prices have pushed millions into the “high-risk” category for food-insecurity. Life expectancy is a mere 43 years, compared to 59 years for low-income countries worldwide. Moreover, only 13 percent of Afghans have access to safe drinking water and 12 percent to adequate sanitation.

Access to electricity is among the lowest in the world. The situation has however improved significantly in Kabul after the import of power from Uzbekistan and the rehabilitation of two old hydro plants – Mahipar and Kazakai – that have been partially completed. Additional power supply from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is expected to improve access to electricity in several major cities between the northern town of Hairatan and Kabul.

At The Hague conference on 31 March 2009, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community agreed that greater coordination and clear direction were urgently needed to ensure more effective support for the people of Afghanistan. Delegates to the conference reaffirmed their vision of a democratic, peaceful, pluralistic and prosperous state based on the Afghan Constitution and the principles of Islam, as set out in the Bonn Agreement of 2001, in the Afghanistan Compact of 2006 and in the Paris Declaration of 2008.