Medical Care in Afghanistan

1. Medical Care in Afghanistan Power point created by: Marina Baranova

2. Life in Afghanistan is difficult. The health care of this state is the main cause of the daily miserable lives of the Afghan people. The life expectancy for Afghanistan is 48 years, one of every four Afghan children dies before his or her first birthday,and about 16 out of every 100 women die giving birth. These statistics reveal the weakness of Afghanistan’s Health care. Their healthcare is poor, ineffective, and unfair. (“Afghanistan War: Civilian Death and Health Services”)

3. Conditions of Hospitals • Hospitals are not always open. • Private hospitals may contain people without a government license or medical degree. This is caused by the fact that there can be no public government monitoring over private hospitals.

4. Condition of Patients • There are lots of amputees and people who need prosthetics. Most patients have either mine, bullet or shell injuries. • Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health problem in Afghanistan(“Afghanistan Country Specific Information”). • The majority of men suffer from stomach cancer and the majority of women suffer from breast cancer (“State of Healthcare in Afghanistan”).

5. Availability • European medicines and American medicines are available in limited quantities. They are also expensive and difficult to locate (“Afghanistan Country Specific Information”). • There is a great shortage in basic medical supplies. Many basic medical supplies come from Iran, Pakistan, and India. There is not even enough detergent to clean the floors with (“Afghanistan Country Specific Information”). • Oxygen can only be provided in the intensive care unit (Lyn). • No heart monitors (Lyn). • No cancer health facilities at all(“State of Healthcare in Afghanistan”).

6. This picture shows the inside of a room in an average hospital. Notice the lack of machinery and equipment in the room. (“Army National Guard in Afghanistan”) These babies are laid side by side because of a lack of supplies and space. This is unsanitary and not beneficial to the baby in any way. (“Childbirth and maternal health improve in Afghanistan”)

7. A pregnant woman is being examined by a female doctor with the use of the most basic of technology. (Cornelia Walther)

8. Differences In Treatment • Women vs. Men: During the Taliban control it was difficult for women to receive health care. The women were only allowed to see female doctors. The problem was getting an education as a females was nearly impossible. Therefore female doctors were rare and many women did not receive treatment even if they were dying. The Taliban regulations increased mortality rates and suffering for women. Even today there are Taboos that prohibit females from receiving health care.A taboo is a custom that prohibits particular practice (“WomensHealth in Afghanistan”). On the other hand there were more male doctors due to the fact that they were allowed to go to school to get a degree. Therefore finding health care for a male was not as difficult as finding health care for a female. Also the care for men is better then that for women quality wise.

9. Differences In Treatment • Rural vs. Urban: The rural population is often forced to travel to district centers to simply get a diagnosis of their illness. Whether or not they will get treatment is questionable. Healthcare in rural areas is weak and may not always help, so traveling to get better help is often necessary (“State of Healthcare in Afghanistan”). The urban population has easier access to these hospitals and therefore receive better treatment then those out in the rural areas.

10. Some areas have an abundance of hospitals while many other areas don’t have any hospitals. (“Afghanistan War: Civilian Death and Health Services”)

11. Differences In Treatment • Poor vs. Wealthy: The benchmark price for a visit to a private practice doctor is seventy-two dollars. The cost for a private hospital stay per day is 2,125 dollars. This of course includes medications, nursing care, tests, food, and many other necessities (Xpatulator.com). If you were a poor civilian of Afghanistan you would not be able to afford such expensive services. Especially if you were a poor man that lived in the rural areas of Afghanistan because, you would have to pay for the cost of traveling to the hospitals (Lyn). Poor people usually go to seek help in the cheaper public hospitals but here the quality and ability of the medicine is limited and ineffective (Lyn). Obviously the people that have more money have a better chance of getting good and affective treatment while the poor people die miserably of their illness.

12. This graph shows the poverty rates amongst Afghanistan (“Afghanistan Poverty Assessment”).

13. Foreign Help! • “Between 1984 and 1996, International Medical Corps maintained 52 clinics and 7 hospitals in war-torn areas of Afghanistan, in addition to two teaching hospitals in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan.” As one of the largest training organizations for Afghan professionals, International Medical Corps trained more than 1,000 health professionals and workers during this twelve year period (“Our Work in Afghanistan”).

14. Foreign help! • The American Medical Overseas Relief works to help the poor people who live in the middle east (“Medical Care Means Millions in Afghanistan”) • The Afghan Midwife Project trains Afghan women about healthy prenatal care and safe childbirth. This program has provided the training many female doctors have been desperately waiting for. “This program is suitable for both rural and urban areas of Afghanistan” (“Midwife Project”).

15. Both pictures show the Afghan Midwife Project in progress. (“Midwife project”) (“Midwives saving countless lives in Afghanistan”) This is the affect of the International Medical Corps (International Medical Corps Rebuilds Afghanistan’s Health Care).Notice how instead of the cone like object that was used by the female doctor in slide seven, the doctor here is using updated American technology. (“International Medical Corps Rebuilds Afghanistan’s Health Care and Devastated Communities Worldwide”)

16. Works Cited • "Afghanistan - International Medical Corps." Afghanistan - International Medical Corps. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • "Afghanistan, Kabul." Cost of Living. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • "Afghanistan Relief Organization." Midwife Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • "Afghanistan War: Civilian Death and Health Services." Afghan Health Services. Freewheel Burning, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012 • "The Daily Outlook Afghanistan." State of Healthcare in Afghanistan. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • "Gallery :: AL Army National Guard in Afghanistan - Photos and Captions by SFC Dennis W. Crowe II :: Afghan_Hospital_Room4." Gallery :: AL Army National Guard in Afghanistan - Photos and Captions by SFC Dennis W. Crowe II :: Afghan_Hospital_Room4. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • Lyn, Tan Ee. "Afghanistan Struggles to Provide Decent Healthcare." Afghanistan Struggles to Provide Decent Healthcare. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • "MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION." Afghanistan Country Specific Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012.

17. Works Cited • "MedShare." MedShare. N.p., 2 June 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • Peter, Tom A. "Childbirth and MaternalHealthImprove in Afghanistan." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • Walther, Cornelia. "Afghanistan." UNICEF. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. • "WomensHealth in Afghanistan." WomensHealth in Afghanistan. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012.