Afghanistan: U.S. to help rebuild women's hospital in Kabul

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Defense Department are joining forces and will spend $5 million this year to rebuild and expand the Rabia Balkhi women's hospital in Kabul, "The New York Times" reported on 27 January. According to the report, U.S. "officials have come to realize that stabilizing Afghanistan is impossible without addressing the vast development needs of the country." A survey released in December 2002 by the Centers for Disease Control and UNICEF indicated that Afghanistan has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates -- 1,600 per 100,000 births. In the United States the rate is 12 per 100,000 births, according to "The New York Times." AT