A significant meaning
For people living in difficult circumstances, the word “free” has a significant meaning – especially when it comes to taking care of yourself. Even more so if one of the most important people in your life needs to receive treatment: your daughter.
We are in Lashkar-Gah, Afghanistan. Little Malalai fractured her arm while playing at home with her siblings.
“We rushed to the EMERGENCY hospital because I knew that my little girl would receive the treatment she needs,” says her father Wali. “I know this hospital well: a few months ago, I was also treated here after I broke my leg in a car accident.”
In post-war Afghanistan, among the most urgent health needs are “civilian” trauma injuries – that is, injuries not directly caused by war or conflict.
In a country marked by decades of conflict and instability, finding free health facilities that can guarantee sufficient continuity of care and monitoring is increasingly difficult.
And for thousands of families, turning to one of the many facilities that require payment is practically impossible: 65% of Afghans live in poverty. Three out of five are children.
For Malalai, we have provided free treatment and physiotherapy, helping her recover as quickly as possible. With a schedule of follow-up appointments, we can monitor her health even after discharge.
Photos by Francesco Pistilli
EMERGENCY’s project in Lashkar-Gah, Afghanistan, is supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.