Afghanistan: Direct Relief's programme activities update Dec 2002

Recipient: Chak-e-Wadak Hospital, AIL Clinics
Shipment Date: 12/10/2002
Value: $55,427
After 23 years of conflict, political instability, a collapsed economy, and three years of severe drought, the World Health Organization reports that Afghanistan's health system is among the very poorest in the world. The daily struggle to obtain even the most basic of necessities exacerbates health conditions such as acute respiratory illnesses, diarrheal diseases, and malnutrition making them life-threatening, especially to children. This shipment of baby care products, such as soap, shampoo, and powder, was part of a multi-year commitment of medications and personal care items by Johnson & Johnson specifically for Afghanistan assistance and was contributed by their Karachi, Pakistan division. The items were distributed to a number of health care facilities in Afghanistan and Pakistan that Direct Relief selected including the Karte-e-Seh Hospital in Kabul, the Afghan Institute for Learning's maternal and child health clinics in Kabul and Jalalabad, the Chak-e-Wardak Hospital in Northern Afghanistan, and the Aryen Medical Clinic in Peshawar, Pakistan which continues to serve the Afghan refugee population.