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Afghanistan

Basic healthcare in the north of Afghanistan has got tangibly better, with German help

Kinderberg International (Stuttgart), a German aid organization, is currently looking after its 400,000th patient. With the financial backing of the Federal Foreign Office and logistical assistance from the Federal Armed Forces, Kinderberg has set up a number of mobile health centres and in-patient clinics, primarily in northern Afghanistan.

Ensuring that care also gets to people in isolated regions is among the prime objectives of the Federal Government. It therefore funds projects that will benefit towns and districts which have yet to be reached by aid agencies and where the public health system cannot guarantee full services for all. The use of mobile health teams means that medical care can be brought to people in isolated areas who would otherwise be totally cut off from such services.

Special attention is attached to the goal of reducing one of the highest childbirth and infant mortality rates in the world. The coming winter will be another very difficult time for the large number of malnourished children.

Special attention is attached to the goal of reducing one of the highest childbirth and infant mortality rates in the world. The coming winter will be another very difficult time for the large number of malnourished children.

Every day some 1350 patients are seen in a total of 26 health centres and clinics. So far a total of approximately 400,000 people have received treatment. More than 160 local doctors, midwives, nurses and administrative staff are currently working on the project.

It has to date received more than 2.8 million euro from the Federal Foreign Office.

In its new Afghanistan policy paper, the Federal Government underscores its objective of doing yet more to support civilian reconstruction. In 2008 alone, funding for civilian reconstruction will be increased by over 70% to 170.7 million euro. Germany has so far contributed over 1.1 billion euro (roughly 1.5 billion US dollars) for civilian reconstruction over the period up to 2010.