Save Afghan Women & Children with Health Care

In 2008 AIL provided health services to 156,966 women through its fixed and mobile, rural health clinics in Herat and Kabul provinces and through Community Health Worker outposts. In conjunction with health care service,112,674 women received health education. AIL believes in providing education at every opportunity as this is the way to help people improve their health and welfare. In the past in Afghanistan, women did not come to clinics for assistance because they did not find that they helped. Over the last seven years, a great deal of trust has been built between the AIL clinic staff and the villagers in the rural areas that they serve. The result is that villagers are now coming to the clinic for delivery of their babies, a rarity in the past. Following is a story from one of the AIL clinics in Herat which shows the positive results that come from having a clinic that is used by people in the area that they live. In the past, this baby probably would have died. A clinic midwife said: "Parimah came to the clinic for delivery at 11 am. She gave birth but the baby was not breathing. We quickly suctioned the baby's nose and mouth kept him warm. We started 40 breath/second and we saw movement of his chest; after two minutes of assistance, his chest moved and he gave a weak cry. The baby was cyanotic so we gave him oxygen. After the resuscitation, the baby got better and his breathing was good and he was able to nurse. We referred him to the vaccine room and educated his mother about breast feeding, post natal care and how to take care of her newborn." With the support of all of you that have donated to this project, this baby's life was saved! Thanks!!!

Following is a story as reported by a female nurse at one of AIL’s clinics about a woman that came to the clinic for treatment after being injured while working with her husband on their house.

One day in early July a woman was brought to the clinic by her husband and her mother. The woman said “My husband was building rooms on our house this morning, and I was helping when suddenly a brick dropped on my head, and my head was broken. My mother put black tea on the wound area to stop the bleeding, but the bleeding did not stop. My husband brought me to the clinic.” A female nurse dressed the injured area with anti-septic liquid and then sent the woman to the OPD room for examination and advised her to come to the clinic to have her dressings changed every other day. The OPD doctors asked her about her mental condition (did she have vomiting or vertigo), and she had no problems. She was in good condition, and was then discharged from the clinic. The woman and her family thanked AIL and the health staff.