Afghanistan Seeks Use Of Indian Satellite For Distance Learning During Covid-19 Crisis

In a recent South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) videoconference to develop a joint strategy to combat Covid-19, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani asked India to make a satellite available to Afghan residents to assist with online education and help ensure social distancing to prevent spread of the virus, according to a report published on HindustanTimes.com on 15 March 2020.

Leaders on the call also proposed a common framework for telemedicine and a mechanism to ensure the flow of essential goods between the member countries, among other actions.

Ghani said Afghanistan is “in unknown territory” and vulnerable, in large part due to its shared border with Iran, which has been hard hit by Covid-19. Ghani also said Afghanistan needed to learn from India how to upscale its health programme. He requested coordination between SAARC and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), with India’s initiative, to determine how China’s experience with the Coronavirus can help SAARC countries .