Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Afghanistan

QRCS supports maternal, child health services in underserved Afghan provinces [EN/AR]

Attachments

August 31st, 2021 ― Doha: Study commenced under the community midwife training project in remote and underserved parts of Afghanistan. It is a $490,055 scheme launched by Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) late in June, in cooperation with the Afghan Welfare Society, Organization for Promotion of Health and Community Development (OPHCD), the provincial health chapters of the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The objectives of the project are to reduce morbidity and mortality rates among the population, particularly mothers and infants; improve access to high-quality, life-saving, and basic health services towards better maternal and child health in remote and inaccessible areas; and build the technical and administrative capacity of community health professionals.

To that end, 24 trainees are attending a two-year course to be trained as community midwives in eight provinces (Badakhshan, Bamyan, Ghazni, Zabul, Kunduz, Wardak, Faryab, and Nuristan). They will receive theoretical and applied training at specialized hospitals and/or health centers, in accordance with MOH’s training programs.
Throughout the training, all the requirements will be secured, such as trainers, materials, and accommodation, and other everyday life services. After graduation, each midwife is expected to offer primary health services, particularly in reproduction health, for up to 4,800 cases per year within her own demographical sphere, or a total of 84,480 in all locations of the graduates.

Lal Mohamed Walizada, Chairman of the Ministry of Economy’s office in Kabul, said they would make sure that the support provided by QRCS would be directed to the best interest of the Afghan people in all provinces.
He considered this training program a “long-term investment” to qualify national medical professionals. The trainees, he asserted, are required to work hard and make the most out of these courses, in order to offer the best services for the target communities, which badly need their efforts in the future.

Mr. Walizada thanked QRCS and its partners for this and other projects that serve all segments of the Afghan society.
Abdul-Jamei Jamei, representative pf the Shura Council of Ghazni Province, praised the mechanism of selecting the trainees from the areas most in need, under the supervision of local authorities. “Ghazni is desperate for health services, which are disproportionate,” said Mr. Jamei. “While some districts have more than one health facility, other districts may have no health facility, or even qualified health professional. I would like to thank those responsible for the project, and thanks QRCS for the funding. We hope there will be more support to establish health facilities in remote areas of the province”.
Nadia Alimar, an instructor, said all the supplies were available to do the training in accordance with the standards of MOH and the Supreme Council of Midwifery, to the benefit of the trainees. She suggested a possible field visit for the instructors to other countries, in order to exchange experience and explore the achievements of others.
Fatima Rasouli, a trainee from Ghazni, was so happy to join this course. She wished that other girls would have the same opportunity, as there are many poor districts, and all health specializations are much needed.
Gita, another trainee from Faryab, welcomed this “fantastic” opportunity for her colleagues and her to join this qualifying two-year course, after which they would get their midwifery diplomas. She hoped that they would pursue their higher studies to get a bachelor’s degree, which would enable them to better serve the remote areas where there are no physicians.

End of Text

About Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS)

Established in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is a humanitarian volunteering organization that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without partiality or discrimination.
QRCS is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which consists of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 191 National Societies. QRCS is also a member of several GCC, Arab, and Islamic organizations, such as the Islamic Committee of International Crescent and the Arab Red Crescent and Red