Transcript Document

Afghanistan Health Services Support Project
Presented by Denise Byrd
Former Jhpiego Country Director,
Afghanistan, &
HSSP Chief of Party
8 May 2013
Background & Context
 80% of the 32.7 million
Afghans live in rural
areas
 Cultural and
geographical barriers
limit access to health
facilities
 Health service delivery is
contracted out to NGOs
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State of Health
 Afghanistan had the second highest
maternal mortality rate in the world
 1 woman died every 27 minutes and
78% of deaths were preventable
 Average family has 6 children
 The risk of dying from pregnancyrelated causes in Afghanistan was 1
in 7; while in the US it’s 1 in 4,300.
 Afghan & US Governments were
committed to reducing maternal
deaths
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Improving Maternal & Newborn Health in Afghanistan
Improving quality
Generating demand
Educating & training
Integrating gender
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What We Achieved
• Improved quality of care
• Trained 17,000+ health
workers, a majority of which
were women
• Implemented key
community-based
interventions to save lives
• Established & strengthened
a national midwifery
education system and a
community health nursing
education program for
women
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Midwifery Education
Newly graduated midwives in Badakhshan province take midwifery pledge
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From the Mouths of…
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“Previously there was no midwife
in our village and women were
suffering bleeding and their
children were dying. Now thanks
to God, we have a midwife and
since have not seen a pregnancy
death.”
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“In the beginning, people thought
that I might be a dayee
(traditional birth attendant) and
would not be effective. Now, they
know me as a women’s specialist
and they respect me and say that I
solve their women’s problems.”
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From the Mouths of…
“Before there was no midwife in
our health center and we had to
travel over one hour to the
nearest town. I had all my
babies at home before because
of this. But now Midwife Hadia
is at the health center and
because of this more women
are seeing a midwife. I will have
my next baby with Hadia in this
health center. She is very nice
and makes me feel safe.”
Woman in Takhar province who was
delivered by Midwife Hadia
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HSSP: Improving Quality of Life
 HSSP interventions targeted and
benefited women and their families
while also strengthening the capacity
of the MoPH
 Interventions empowered women
 Education
 Economic opportunities
 Mobility & Confidence
 Improved health improves quality of life
 Development that focuses on
sustainability is essential to long-term
security
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Thank You!
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