AN EU-FUNDED PROJECT TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR 240,000 PEOPLE IN THE AFGHAN PROVINCES OF KABUL AND PANJSHIR

Four years after the end of the conflict and the departure of international forces from Afghanistan, the legacy of decades of war is still affecting the lives of millions of people. An inadequate and weakened healthcare system makes it difficult for more than 14 million Afghans in need to access care, report OCHA.

According to EMERGENCY’s most recent report, which included the participation of more than 1,600 Afghan people, three out of five respondents struggled to afford medical treatment, whilst one in four had to postpone or cancel surgery because they could not pay for it. Women in particular responded that they faced significant barriers to accessing healthcare services, especially for maternal and pregnancy-related care.

Meanwhile EMERGENCY’s hospital data show a persistent influx of patients affected by violence and landmines, as well as a growing number of civilian trauma patients – particularly individuals injured in road traffic accidents.

EMERGENCY is providing life-saving medical and surgical services in Kabul, and maternal and childcare in Anabah (Panjshir Valley) and neighbouring districts. This is made possible by the European Union’s support for EMERGENCY’s activities at its Surgical Centre for War Victims in Kabul, in the Maternity and Paediatric Centre in Anabah, and at the NGO’s First Aid Posts and Primary Healthcare Centres in Panjshir (Khinch, Dara, Sangi Khan, Hesarak, Kapisa, Pul-e-Sayyad, Oraty, Koklamy). The project aims to reach 240,000 beneficiaries in 12 months and covers the costs of staff management, procurement of medical materials, biomedical equipment, and maintenance of the facilities.

EMERGENCY began working in Afghanistan in 1999. In 2001, it inaugurated the Surgical Centre for War Victims in Kabul, which has become a vital surgical hospital serving the capital and surrounding provinces. In 2003, the organisation opened the Anabah Maternity Centre, providing essential gynaecological, obstetric and neonatal care to people from across the Panjshir Valley and beyond. Over time, EMERGENCY has also established a network of more than 40 First Aid Posts (FAPs) and Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), ensuring access to healthcare across the country. It continues to operate the Surgical Centre for War Victims in Lashkar-Gah, Helmand, and the Surgical and Paediatric Centre in Anabah.

About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid:

The European Union and its Member States are among the world’s leading donors of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by disasters and human-induced crises. Through the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.