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in Northern Afghanistan

SCA increases its health services
in Northern Afghanistan

Kabul, October 1, 2009

The Minister of Public Health Dr. Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimie and SCA
country director Anders Fange after signing the BPHS contracts for Samangan
and Saripul.

As of October 1 the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) will manage Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) projects in Samangan and Saripul provinces in Northern Afghanistan.

“SCA is very grateful to the Ministry of Public Health to have been given the responsibility and privilege to serve the people in Samangan and Sar-e-Pul. Both provinces are among the poorest in Afghanistan and are thus in great need of health services” says Mr. Anders Fange, SCA country director.

It will not be an easy task. Budgets for BPHS in Afghanistan do not reach internationally recommended standards.

“Also Afghanistan’s lack of competent staffs, especially females, are a problem. In spite of this, SCA with its partner organization will work to the best of their ability to improve the health services in the two provinces” says Mr. Fange.

SCA as the leading organization in the BPHS for the two provinces and will jointly manage these projects with an Afghan partner NGO, Afghanistan Center for Training and Development (ACTD) for a period of three and half year.

The content and purpose of BPHS as the ones in Samangan and Sarepul is to provide quality curative, preventive and promotive basic healthcare services in the area implementing the project. The BPHS is comprised of different health facilities from provincial level to the very preliminary health centres – the so-called health posts. Step by step the health facilities are being linked in a referral system, from the lowest to the main and largest BPHS health centres.

Currently in Samangan there are 28 health centres (1 district hospital, 5 Comprehensive Health Centres, 12 Basic Health Centres and 10 Health Sub-Centers). The organization will continue to keep the current health facilities operational.
The estimated financial cost for the Samangan BPHS is USD 3,8 million.

In Saripul there are 41 health facilities operational (1 district hospital, Comprehensive Health Centre (CHC) plus 17 CHC, 15 Basic Health Centres, and 17 Health Sub-Centres). Both partner organizations will continue the current facilities.
The estimated budget for this project is USD 5,7 million.

Beside the implementation of BPHS, SCA plans to establish and support one midwifery training centres in each province. Through these centres 22 to 24 students will be trained in each province. Each semester is 18 months. A future plan is to double the training period.

The number of trained midwives in 42 months will reach to 90 midwifes in both provinces, for which the communities in the remote districts and villages are in terrible need.

The BPHS in Saripul and Samangan are funded by World Bank.

SCA Information Unit Afghanistan
+93-(0)700-078 103

SCA Information Unit Sweden
+46-(0)735-173 520