In Afghanistan, Women Step Up to Fill Need for Frontline Health Workers

By Mare Elston, Technical services manager, USAID Promote: Women in the Economy programFebruary 22, 2019Female clients often want care from female health workers, but they ' re in short supply.Communities across Afghanistan —especially the dispersed populations in rural areas—have long endured a lack of basic health services due to low numbers of trained health workers and chronic security issues. But this situation is improving.Today, a program to bolster women ’s inclusion in Afghanistan’s mainstream economy is also serving to fill high-priority needs in maternal and infant care, vaccination, skilled nursing, and other health services.There is a huge demand for skilled female medical staff.The  Promote: Women in the Economy (WIE) program is enjoying noteworthy acceptance in the health sector, both by local clinics and hospitals that need trained workers and by young women wishing to train for and fill those jobs. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by DAI, WIE has facilitated 8,000 inter nships and apprenticeships and assisted hundreds of women-friendly businesses across Afghanistan. Among WIE’s results:Health internships and apprenticeships: Implemented by 24 job placement officers and managers across Afghanistan, the WIE Internship and Apprenticeship program’s network of 1,600 vetted employers provides safe working conditions for young women who are often entering the professional workplace for the first time. WIE has f...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health Community Engagement Human Resources Management Gender Equality Health Workforce Systems Afghanistan Source Type: news