Sunday, January 27, 2013
Kabul (BNA) Decreasing the number of maternal and infant mortality cases in the country is appreciable, but completely overcoming the problem requires more initiatives and precise planning.
BNA commentator on medical situation of the country writes:
Afghanistan earlier to the establishment of Interim Government had the highest figure of mortality rate among mothers and infants. During that time, in every 100,000 childbirth 1600 mothers lost their lives during childbirth.
But fortunately today, the above figure has reduced to 327 cases. The fact indicates that during the last decade, health sector has been at focus of state’s attention and preventive measures have been adopted to cope the problem across the country.
Although, the achievements of last decade are encouraging but it is not enough, because more than 300 women are still at death risk annually during childbirth that should not be ignored.
Hamid Karzai the president of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on his 15 day speech, focusing attention on decreasing mortality rate among mothers and infants called the decrease encouraging but made it clear that it is not sufficient and added, we should do our best even a single mother not lose her life during childbirth.
The president for further preventing mortality among mothers and infants pointed to the following, permanent medical care of pregnant mothers, observing hygiene during childbirth and further access of pregnant women to health clinics.
President Karzai was talking about the need of expanding health centers and capacity building of medical staff while, 10 medical institutes along with medical higher education institutes are operating in the country and train midwives and nurses, and so far about 3500 people have been graduated from the health centers and institutes.
A number of students are presently attending the centers and institutes. After graduation they will serve in remote places of the country as medical staff. While earlier to 1381 presenting such services was at low level. The pregnant women in lack of medical staff and facilities gave birth in traditional way at the houses; hygiene was not respected, lack of medicine and health workers and far distance and some other problem caused Afghanistan to have the highest mortality rate across the world.
But fortunately we enjoy a much better situation today. Widespread of medical activities and promoting the skills and qualification of medical personnel, brought out Afghanistan from its yesterday’s situation but the problems have not been solved yet fundamentally. 
According to medical experts, for further decreasing mortality rate among mothers and infants, the state along with promoting and expanding medical programs and centers, should ask the activists of civil society and religious scholars to take active part in enlightening of people about the disadvantages of underage marriages, observing distance between childbirths, advantages of vaccination and other relevant issues to the case. Because, in remote places of the country still local traditions are predominated which mostly originate from unawareness of people from religious and social issues and superstitions. Existing such traditions and superstitions in the communities threaten the life of people particularly the life of pregnant women and infants. Settling such social problems will further decrease the mortality rate among pregnant women which is now 327 cases in a year.     
 

Sunday, January 27, 2013
Kabul (BNA) Ibrahim Azhar deputy minister of counter-narcotics who was addressing a meeting at the International Press Center of Ministry of Information and Culture, said that problems like poverty, war and psychological disturbance are factors dragging the people to addiction in the country.
He added we will be successful in eradicate its factors leading to addition.
While recalling the status of the addicts in the country, it is possible that around 350,000 more Afghans are addicted to narcotics.
He asked all the government organs and the civil society to achieve their mission in the struggle against national problem.
Najia Tariq deputy minister of publish health at this meeting explained the programs of that ministry with respect of the addicts and said that by launching of awareness programs among the people in respect to the harms of narcotics we can achieve positive steps towards prevention of addiction.
Ibrahim Jamali an official of Turk Addiction and Reintegration presented methods of treatment of addicts and pledged cooperation from the related officials in struggle against addiction.
 

Monday January 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan held national conference on public health for two-day here in Kabul on Sunday.
The conference was attended by Dr. Suraya Dalil, Minister of Public Health and her deputies Dr. Ahmad Jan Naeem, Dr. Najia Tariq, Dr. Abdul Basir Sarwar and representatives of national and international health partners of Afghanistan.
The participants of the conference in its first day discussed the issues such as; overview of Afghanistan Health Sector, overage and mortality indicators and vital statistics, cost analysis of Basic Public Health Services (BPHS) and Essential package of Hospital Services (EPHS), benefit incidence analysis of public financed health services, pharmaceutical market and procurement.
Dr. Suraya Dalil, Minister of Public Health in her opening speech said that the MoPH with its health partners have worked closely over the last decade to improve health outcomes for those most vulnerable, particularly women and children and today’s opening presentations and discussion will not only provide an overview of our success but also assist us in identifying gaps in health service provision so that we can continue our journey together and succeed in our vision as identified in the Strategic Plan.
The Dr. Dalil indicated the security, good governance, and economic development as the three pillars of development, including the provision of health services, adding improvement of health sector governance involves cultivating accountability, engaging key health sector partners and stakeholders, to be able to establish a shared direction in the effective stewardship of limited and diminishing resources, the purpose of this conference is to provide to the Ministry of Public Health and partners critical information on new research and health sector trends by the ten strategic directions of the Health Sector Strategic Plan, said Dr. Dalil.
“This conference allows us to be able to identity gaps in the provision of health service delivery and informs changes to health sector strategies, policies, programs and practices”, the Minister continued.
Ministry of Public Health delivers health services impartially and without any form of discrimination to the needy people of Afghanistan in all corners of the country and requests all parties to respect this policy and support health care providers to fulfill this noble job.
 

Sunday December 30, 2012
Kabul (BNA) Mohammad Karim Khalili second vice-president attended yesterday the three-day National Health Coordination gathering.
Addressing the gathering Khalili said that we are on the verge of transition of security responsibilities from the international community to the domestic foundations while this is not only in the security but in several other spheres including the health services.
He added that our expectations from all the managers and government and private employees is to focus attention of sensitivities of this phase and make further efforts towards creation of sustainable capacities especially in the health sector.
He stressed that alongside security, there is shortage of capacities as another challenge and in the course of past ten years the ration of capacity building especially from the viewpoints of human resource expansion and training of specialist was satisfactory but still we are facing some difficulties and challenges for the present capacities are not responsive to the country’s needs and there is need for further efforts in this direction so we can resolve it.
He called the ministry of public health as one of the successful organ of the government and added that this ministry has attained some gains in the past ten years in respect to provision of health services both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Today most of remote regions of the country have access to health care compared to the past years and they are using its services.
But these are not adequate, the ministry has to move ahead and achieve more quality services and the government strongly supports it as well.
Dr. Soraya Dalil minister of public health addressed the heads public health department of 34 provinces and said that in the past year we were witness to shocking natural incidents and health outcomes.
For this very reason there is need for precise attention of the heads of provincial health departments with respect to provision of supplies to the districts and addressing the unexpected incidents while necessary guidance has already been sent to the provinces in this respect.
She added that unfortunately, we were also witness to suicide bombings and explosions in the country and we have prepared guiding rules for the provinces and I request its precise implementation.
She also explained the achievements and the shortages in the ministry.
She touched on the decree no 45 of the presidential office and said that this decree has defined appropriate indicators for the health ministry and its implementation at the government and private health foundations require participation of all health personnel.
She noted that in the month of Assad of current year the regulation for private health foundations was published in the Official Gazette of Justice Ministry.
The gathering was also addressed by other health officials discussing issues pertaining to provision of health services and the challenges those foundations are facing.
It should be stated that the National Health Gathering has been organized for coordination of health programs between the center and the provinces and sharing of experience among the health personnel in those areas.
The gathering is attended by 34 heads of health department of the provinces.