WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
Department of Emergency and Humanitarian Action
AFGHANISTAN
WEEKLY UPDATE
28 May 2001
Health Assessment
A four-member team of WHO visited Samangan and Baghlan provinces and assessed the
implementation of NIDs plan of action. The team met with the health authorities and briefed
them about the NIDs update and results. WHO provincial EPI officers monitored Helmand,
Zabul, Nimroz and Kandahar provinces and paid special attention to districts bordering
Pakistan to vaccinate all children during the NIDs 3rd round (19-21 May 2001) WHO team
visited Kandahar TB center, monitored food distribution for TB patients and and utilization of
WHO DOTS strategy with the technical staff of the center. The team also visited Malaria
Reference Center in Kandahar and discussed Malaria/leshmania microscopy method and
treatment procedures with staff of the centre.
Health Coordination
In a joint meeting of WHO, UNICEF, health authorities and REMTon the improvement of
NIDs and routine EPI activities in Northern region of Afghanistan, the participants agreed to
strengthen routine EPI activities, to improve supervision and to regularize supplies, to select
volunteers for NIDs as criteria through selection committee and to improve training and social
mobilization activities.
Population movement (IDPs):
In a meeting of the aid community in the northern region discussed the IDPs situation in
Balkh province. It was noted that, there are 11,000 IDPs families in different areas of Balkh
and Kundoz provinces who are not receiving satisfactory assistance. The meeting agreed
that the IDPs should be shifted to two camps for better assistance. The agencies were
requested to make commitment for providing help and regular contribution for six months.
WHO was requested to deal with the health situation and emergencies of IDPs and routine
medical supplies in collaboration with UNICEF, MSF especially of MCH clinics.
In this division of work, WHO is to provide training of health workers, drugs, equipment,
bed-nets and surveillance materials.
TRAINING:
WHO, as per the need assessment of the female health personnel and their requirement,
conducted breast-feeding counselling training course in MOPH Jalalabad. 20 female health
workers attended the course from various organizations (WHO, NGOs and UN agencies.
The main goals of the training were to provide health education to mother on the importance
of breastfeeding, importance of colostrums, positioning of baby at the breast, health care
practices, low birth weight, increasing breast milk, breastfeeding and family planning and
Islam and breast feeding.
WHO conducted two one-week training courses on Community Nutrition in Ghazni PHD. 15
female and 12 male health personnel mainly from the MCH clinics, provincial hospitals and
BHCs running by MOPH, ARCS, RRD and NGOs ( MSF, NAC, SCA, IAHC, Ibne Sina)
attended the courses. The main objectives of the courses were to promote the knowledge of
the health personnel/workers in basic nutrition tasks, to conduct on job training for
community health workers and to solve the nutritional and health problems in communities
under their areas. WHO office in Ghazni facilitated a post NID review meeting attended by
the representatives of PEMT Ghazni, all WHO EPI Officers and EPI partners (SCA, NAC,
Ibne Sina) and Monitors. The participants discussed all NIDs related issues in Southeastern
region and tried to find out solutions for removal of constraints and making full preparation for
the next NIDs rounds.
Humanitarian health supplies
To strengthen the health service delivery, WHO office in Mazar distributed medical supplies
to Mazar, Sheberghan and Faryab provincial hospitals, basic health kits and IV infusion to 15
different BHCs in Jawzjan, Faryab, Samangan and Saripul provinces, anti-rabies vaccines,
40 kits for Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) of Aqcha and Khulm districts.
WHO office in Faizabad provided medical supplies to MOPH Faizabad to be distributed to
health facilities in the region.
WHO office in Kandahar provided anti-TB drugs to Helmand Provincial Hospital, medical
supplies to Shinkai district hospital and community forums in precincts 3 and 4 of Kandahar
City.
WHO Ghazni providedanti-malaria and anti-TB drugs, reagents, recording and reporting
materials to Ghazni hospital's malaria referral centre and Khost TB Control Program. WHO
Ghazni provided four infant scales to the two maternity rooms running by Ibne Sina in Gardez
and Ghazni cities. Also, WHO Ghazni provided 2000 ORS and 4000 Tetracycline capsules to
three health facilities running by ARCS in Ghazni.
Vulnerability reduction at community level: The Basic Developmental
(BDN) Programme:
WHO Ghazni in collaboration with BDN Focal Point and Village Development Committee
(VDC) of Rabat Village, Deh Yak District of Ghazni province provided Rs 80000 to 10
Families in that Village as interest-free loan under the Bee Breeding project. Also in Layaba
Village of Yaftal district of Faizabad City, the BDN Village Development Committee's
members requested WHO to provide sewing machines and raw materials for carpentry
project including leather ready-made instrument. They thanked WHO for repairing
carpet-weaving frame and they are ready to start carpet weaving activities. WHO established
a training course for the illiterate people (men and women) of the village and bought 40
books and necessary stationeries. After training WHO would help in provision of small-scale
projects with instalments to help them to be self-sufficient in the future and to involve them in
decision-making process and highlighting their priorities.