WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
Department of Emergency and Humanitarian Action
WEEKLY UPDATE - AFGHANISTAN
August 13,2001
Coordination

WHO office in Ghazni facilitated the Monthly Health Coordination Committee
Meeting attended by PHD Ghazni, SCA/SRO, NAC, Ibn Sina, IAHC, MSF,
and PEMT Ghazni. The participants discussed the reports reached the WHO
Ghazni office on the outbreak of cholera in different parts of Paktika and
Khost provinces and agreed to adopt concrete action. The agencies shared
information concerning available cholera supplies: The PHD Ghazni/MSF
has already made necessary preparation in Ghazni provincial hospital to
accept the patients with acute watery diarrhoea. The SCA representative has
indicated that the SCA provides health personnel and cholera supplies
Assessment:

WHO team from Ghazni visited Khair Kot district of Paktika province to
assess the reported cholera outbreak there. The team visited Khair Kot
MOPH/BHC, SCA C1 Clinic and two other private clinics there.
Cholera in Ghazni

Cholera in Ghazni: According to the report reached to WHO Ghazni office
from health facilities functioning in Paktika province, 14 persons including two
young women have been died and more than 250 patients have been affected
by acute watery diarrhoea there. The health staffs of clinics have volunteered
to chlorinate all water sources in affected villages. This is the second time that
WHO team visiting the area and transporting medical supplies there
Training


WHO conducted one-week training course for X-ray technicians at Mirwais
Hospital in Kandahar City. X-ray technicians from Kandahar, Helmand,
Urozgan, Zabul and Nemroz provinces and from Kandahar's hospital attended
thetraining. Mowlavi Abdul Salam, Regional Public Health Director drew the
attention of the participants to their responsibilities and requested them to
utilize
this opportunity to serve the people.
Three post-graduate training courses were conducted for 50 participants in
Ghani Khail Rural Hospital, for 46 participants in Regional Public Health
Hospital (Jalalabad) and for 26 female participants in Jalalabad University
Hospital last week. Management of severe and complicated malaria cases at
the district level and epidemic preparedness and response were the subjects..
WHO team visited Faizabad and conducted a survey of Roll Back Malaria
(RBM) in Faizabad. WHO trained 28 surveyors and the surveyors started the
survey on 11 August in Faizabad.
Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs)

IDPs-Southern & Northeastern regions: WHO team from Kandahar visited
the IDPs camps in Qala shamir, Mirakhor of Maiwand district of Kandahar
province and transported essential drugs to the camps. Health mobile team
of Ibnsina is providing health services with immunization to the IDPs once in a
week..
Approximately 510 families from Reg district are settled in three
locations (Qalai shamir, Mirakhor and Mandozai)..

Shortage of potable drinking water is the main problem of the Kandahar IDPs
as they are drinking polluted water from an uncovered shallow well.
The WHO team visited Naozad district and identified approximately 590
families
who came from Badghis and Ghor provinces. These IDPs are located
around
the district center. Immediate need of these IDPs are food items and
safe drinking water. One health facility and MCH clinic are accessible for the IDPs.

WHO facilitated a Health Coordination Committee Meeting at Faizabad
Hospital attended by UNICEF, UNOPS, SCA, MSF, Afghan aid, SNI, MCI,
OXFAM, ARCS, FOCUS. All the health concerned agencies presented their
reports about nutrition in Badakhshan. The participants discussed IDPs and
their health situation and assistance to the IDP Clinics. MSF reported that,
25% of
attendants of IDP Clinic in Khwajabuhauddin was malaria cases,
10 to 15% was diarrheal diseases. WHO Faizabad related plans for technical
and material support to IDPs clinic in Khwajabauddin.
Basic Development Needs Program (BDN)

WHO chaired the Meeting of the Community Shoura and Cluster
representatives of Layaba Village in Badakhshan selected for implementation
of WHO BDN program. WHO team welcomed the participants and briefed
them about the aim of the meeting. The team read the summary of the survey
conducted by the members of the Shoura and Cluster representatives. They
talked on how to solve their main problems. The director of MOPH and the
Provincial Governor in their speeches appreciated the program. The Governor
thanked WHO for assisting this poor people of Badakhshan. He said that, the
main purpose of the WHO BDN program is to support people to utilize their
skill and knowledge and to involve community in decision-making process and
to be self-reliance. The meeting decided to select a technical committee and
make a work plan on health, education and agriculture for improving living
standard of the people.
Sub-National Immunization Days (NIDs)

The quality of all polio eradication activities has seen incremental
improvements. However, to ensure that polio is eradicated from Afghanistan,
efforts should be further intensified.
Afghanistan programme has planned to conduct sub-