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Why Afghanistan? |
Whilst many
of our family, friends and colleagues are assisting in providing a safe and
secure environment for the people of Afghanistan, there are numerous non-profit
organisations who are working to provide basic human rights and access to those
services many of us take for granted – clean water, sanitation, nutrition and
healthcare. The combined effects of more than 20 years of war and persistent
human rights violations including Taliban imposed restrictions on women’s rights
have had devastating health consequences for women. Long before the world was
seized with the conduct of the Taliban regime, Physicians for Human Rights
undertook groundbreaking survey research of women’s health and human rights and
a 2001 survey of 1,000 Afghan women and men showed the stunning deterioration of
women’s health, both physical and mental, under the Taliban regime and revealed
that an overwhelming majority of Afghan people supported human rights including
women’s rights, and perceived the Taliban to be impeding the health and
development of Afghanistan.
Due to poor governance, near-constant war, and gross poverty, international
humanitarian groups have largely provided health care in Afghanistan through a
patchwork of projects. However, it is clear that the country requires an
integrated public health plan that will comprehensively address Afghanistan’s
needs. Furthermore, saving the lives of the thousands of women who die during
pregnancy or childbirth in Afghanistan ever year literally saves the life of the
family as well. Infants and young children who lose their mothers in
impoverished families languish and often die themselves.
Afghanistan has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world
estimated at 1,600 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births; every 27
minutes a woman dies from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. The use of
midwives as skilled birth attendants is known to have an impact in reducing
maternal mortality; a national programme of midwifery training to increase the
coverage of midwives in Afghanistan, particularly to the rural areas, is already
underway.
As a trained nurse and midwife, I have been given the opportunity to work with a
non-profit organisation called the International Medical Corps (IMC),
coordinating an obstetric training programme for women at a large maternity
hospital called the Rabia Balkhi Hospital, in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Beneficiaries of this training include attending physicians and residents,
nurses, midwives, health workers as well as the approximately 13,000 women and
children who receive services at the hospital each year. The hospital is
currently delivering between 1,200 to 1,500 babies per month and the
infrastructure, management and service delivery systems are improving on a
day-to-day basis. The training programme coordinated by IMC has had
groundbreaking success and with the support of the Afghan government and other
non-profit organisations, many women have been trained as midwives and are able
to return to outlying villages to give effective maternal care.
People often ask me why I would want to go to Afghanistan. My initial reaction
is ‘why wouldn’t I’. The country of Afghanistan is currently going through
immense development changes and to be part of such a historical event is a
privilege.
To be a part of this training programme is going to be a thrilling challenge,
one in which I naturally hold some apprehension. However as with every challenge
it will certainly be full of unexpected turns and I am sure some remarkable
stories, which will make one both laugh and cry and it is an 8-month journey
that I will undoubtedly never forget.
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