THE AFGHANISTAN DENTAL RELIEF PROJECT

Young Boy On Dental Chair

Decades of war and being ignored by other countries have brought the healthcare system in Afghanistan to the brink of near collapse. Only 17% of the country's health clinics are now barely functional. The life expectancy of the average Afghan, as of 2020, is just 65.17 years.

Delivering healthcare to women is especially difficult because the field is predominantly dominated by men. As a result, women are reluctant to seek preventative care or treatment for medical conditions because of Islamic modesty concerns, which are strictly enforced by the Taliban. This is also the same with dental healthcare.

As professionals in the oral care and dental fields, you're well aware of the symbiotic relationship unhealthy teeth have with the rest of the body. Because much of the country's population have no knowledge of, or routinely practice, oral healthcare this exacerbates their health problems.

This is why the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project was established. Not only to provide free dentistry but to teach people about the importance of taking care of their gums and teeth. The ADRP also trains practitioners, with a focus on recruiting women, to become oral healthcare professionals.

One month after the withdrawal of military forces, the United States government froze all Afghanistan government assets and imposed harsh new sanctions on doing any banking with the country, to prevent money from reaching the Taliban. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank stopped sending funds to the country. Afghanistan is now unable to order medical supplies, medicine, or food without the money to pay for them.

This is creating the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe with more children dying, widespread malnutrition, and increasing starvation. Half of the country's population needs humanitarian assistance to survive, double the number from 2020. More than twenty million people are on the brink of famine.

The people who run and contribute to the ADRP do so out of a sense of obligation, humanity, and compassion for these tenaciously perseverant and warm people. As Dr. Rolfe stated, "We owe it to the Afghan people".

DR. JAMES ROLFE, DMD

FOUNDER

Dr. James Rolfe is a dentist from Santa Barbara, California. He founded Afghanistan Dental Relief Project in 2003 first in the province of Wardak, Afghanistan. He quickly realized that there were many people in Afghanistan suffering from dental problems and could either not access good care or could not afford it and were dying from untreated tooth abscesses. He founded the project to treat many of the disadvantaged such as the poor, orphans, widowed, and those who simply could not access dental care. In 2008, he moved the project to Kabul and along with our clinic that provides free services he has established a dental assisting program, dental hygiene training course, and dental technician training all at no cost. In the winter of 2015 he opened our new modern clinic which focuses on more advanced dental procedures. He is the winner of the 2010 U.S. National Award for Citizen Diplomacy. Aside from overseeing all activities of the project, he also stays busy in his own practice in Santa Barbara.

SAHER POPAL

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Saher Popal is an Afghan American dental and public health professional and the current President and Chief Executive Officer of the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project. She joined ADRP in 2015 after traveling to Afghanistan for the first time with a dream of using her skills to make a meaningful contribution to her parents’ homeland. During that visit, Saher fell in love with ADRP, its mission, and the communities it serves. Since then, she has remained deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of the Afghan people. She has traveled regularly between the United States and Afghanistan to oversee different phases of the project, train staff, strengthen clinic operations, and collaborate with government officials, healthcare professionals, and community partners.
Saher played a leading role in establishing ADRP’s school-based oral health project and maternal and child oral health program. She has also traveled internationally to support oral health education and community-based health programs in underserved communities worldwide.

Saher believes that oral healthcare is a fundamental and equal right for every person, regardless of income, location, or circumstances. Through her leadership, she continues to honor her connection to Afghanistan by helping build sustainable programs that serve its people with compassion, dignity, and hope.

NISAR AHMED NIAZI

COMMUNICATION OFFICER & IT SPECIALIST

Nisar Ahmad Niazi has made significant contributions to the Afghan Dental Project organization. With a remarkable eight years of experience in the field, Niazi plays a pivotal role in enhancing the project’s technological infrastructure and communication strategies. He has a passion for humanitarian work and, through different media outlets and platforms, enjoys showing all of the outstanding accomplishments that ADRP achieves.

DR. ARYA YOUSUFI

ADRP BOARD MEMBER, DENTAL PROFESSIONAL

Dr. Arya Yousufi is an Afghan general dentist from Denmark. With experience treating both children and adults, she believes that prevention, education, and compassionate care are the foundation of lifelong oral health

Saher believes that oral healthcare is a fundamental and equal right for every person, regardless of income, location, or circumstances. Through her leadership, she continues to honor her connection to Afghanistan by helping build sustainable programs that serve its people with compassion, dignity, and hope.

In 2025, she volunteered with the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project in Kabul, where she provided dental treatment for underserved children and adults. During her mission, she also delivered clinical training to local dental staff and visited a local orphanage to examine children before providing necessary treatment at the clinic.

Following her volunteer mission, Dr. Arya joined the Board of the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project and continues to support the organization through voluntary work. She has also organized an oral health prevention campaign, raising funds to provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for children and adults in Afghanistan, helping to promote better oral hygiene and prevent dental disease.

Dr. Rolfe with Young Patient

Saher Positioning X-Ray Camera