Afghanistan

Project Overview

In 2008: Afghanistan had the highest estimated Maternal Mortality Ratio of 1,400 per 100,000 live births (the number of maternal deaths during a given time period) and the highest estimated lifetime risk of 1 in 11. The women are either geographically restricted or culturally not allowed to use health facilities.

BKFA started working in Afghanistan in 2006. The project grew as more organisations were recommended to our project from organisations like UNICEF. BKFA has targeted Afghanistan as a country of high priority for our future support.

We work with:

Terre des Hommes (Tdh) in Kabul and Kandahar.

Marie Stopes International (MSI) Afghanistan in Kabul

Participating Organisations

1. Terre des Hommes (Tdh) (http://www.terredeshommes.org/)

Terre des Hommes has initiated its Home Visiting Project by providing services through professional midwives to the most vulnerable women at the community level. www.tdhafghanistan.org

Kabul (Tdh) :- Dr Noorkhanum Ahmadzai supervises the distribution of our birthing kits in Kabul. The project is currently functional in 14 different areas of Kabul city. We have supplied a total of 33,749 birthing kits up to 01 January 2012.

Kandahar (Tdh) :- Dr Taj Mohammed supervises the distribution of our birthing kits through their Maternal and Child Health Project which involves a home visiting programme. In Kandahar 44% of pregnant women have no access to the health facilities because of financial and social problems. 36% of the women give birth at home either by traditional birth attendant or relatives. 28% of children die within the first 12 months. The home visiting project of Tdh remains an essential service, given the tense and unsettled situation in the southern part of the country. To provide assistance to women and children has an undeniable humanitarian take under those circumstances. Since 1999 we have supplied 35,770 kits.

From using 2359 kits, Dr Taj reported that only one woman had died and no babies had died. Statistically it would be expected that between 44 and 118 women would die (depending on region) and over 100 babies would die. This shows the true impact of simple clean birthing kits and a health programme.

2. Marie Stopes International (MSI) (http://www.mariestopes.org/)

Marie Stopes International distribute the kits through their health centre in Kabul, as well as distribute to Community Health Educators (CHW), community midwives and support some government health facilities, as they also face shortages of drugs, equipment and other necessary health commodities. BKFA supplied 18,600 kits since 1999 and hopes to supply another 2000 in 2012.