Abdul cradles his four-month-old daughter, Marzia, in his arms, standing in the crowded clinic hallway. Four hours from Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province in northwestern Afghanistan, this health facility, run by World Vision and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), serves 18 villages and provides care to over 17,000 people in this rural part of the country.

Inside, the air is thick with a blend of antiseptic, sweat, and the earthy scent of wet dust carried in from outside. The narrow hallway pulses with constant movement – footsteps shuffling, doctors calling out names, and the sharp wail of infants piercing the air.

The clatter of medical utensils echoes as patients move swiftly through the clinic, entering one of the nine rooms designated for various services: emergency care, malnutrition screenings, vaccinations, midwifery, prenatal and postnatal care, outpatient services, counselling, the pharmacy, and health awareness sessions. The pace is hectic and relentless, as a constant flow of people fills the space.