Project Report
| Aug 22, 2008
Stories to Share
By Alison Hendry | Administrative Assistant
We would like to share a report from one of AIL’s Outreach Vaccinators in Herat, Afghanistan.
I went to the Koshkak Village as part of the vaccine program and saw that a group of people had come together and were discussing the advantages getting vaccinated. I stayed there and listened to their ideas and questions about the vaccine program. One asked “What is the advantage of being vaccinated?” Another answered “Before the immunization program, our children suffered from polio, diphtheria and measles, but now the vaccine protects them from those dangerous diseases.”
I praised them for their information about vaccines, in addition to what they already knew, I gave them health education and said that the BCG vaccine prevents your children from getting tuberculosis and this vaccine is injected into a baby’s arm just days after birth; we give them the Polio vaccine at that time too. I also told them about the TB clinic that AIL has, and described the symptoms of TB.
I also explained to them that the DPT-Hep B vaccine protects their children from four dangerous diseases. Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus and Hepatitis B and that this vaccine is injected during the 6th, 10th and 14th weeks of a baby’s life.
I explained that when we give the DPT-Hep B to their children, we also give the Polio vaccine. I said that we give two rounds of the Measles vaccine in the 9th and 18th months of life.
I also let them know that in addition to the immunization program for children, that we give women the Tetanus vaccination. We give the OPV vaccine to children up to five years old.
I saw in the faces of people that they were very happy about this health education and then I asked them to go home and bring their children with their vaccine cards so that I can see who I must vaccinate. They followed my instructions and the results of the vaccine program that day were excellent for me.
Aug 14, 2008
Snapshot (2008) of the Reproductive Health Project
By Alison Hendry | Administrative Assistant
Between January and June 2008, doctors in the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) clinics in Afghanistan have treated 9,347 women for reproductive health issues. Health education directly related to reproductive health issues (breast feeding, family planning, nutrition, vaccinations, and sexually transmitted diseases) is chosen by about 25% of the women who receive health education at the clinics. AIL has also held four-day reproductive health workshops for 247 women. So far in 2008 the AIL clinics have delivered 43 healthy babies.
The impact on those served is great. Following are just a few comments of women who have been helped:
Female doctor of the Imam Shish Nur Clinic said: “Habiba came to the clinic 9 months ago; and said that she had amenorrhea. I referred her to the clinic laboratory for a pregnancy test. The result of lab was positive. I congratulated her but she was upset because 25 years ago she got married and had been pregnant 17 times but unfortunately all of them miscarried. I did not think that this pregnancy would be full term as before. Again I referred her to complete all the tests and fortunately all the results were normal. She had a stepdaughter. I give hope to her that this time she would have a safe delivery and her own baby. I advised her to have monthly visits at the clinic. She was given Healthy Mom and Ferfolic. When she passed the seventh month of pregnancy she suffered from hypertension and pedal edema. I referred her to the laboratory for urine analysis test. The result of her examination was proteinurea; I took management of her. Weekly she has come to the clinic for follow up; her blood pressure was under control. A night she was going to have delivery and her family took her to the hospital for delivery. She gave birth 25 years of marriage. Two days later she came to the clinic with her baby; she was very happy and appreciated me and services of the Imam Shish Nur clinic. I was thrilled to see her with her baby. It was one of my best memories. She said I can't believe that after all this time I have a child.”
Midwives of the Jaghartan Clinic said: “One day when we arrived at the clinic a pregnant woman was waiting. She was in pain. Her name was Zia Gul and she had come for ANC to the clinic several times; her pain had started an hour ago, but when we examined her we could see she was near delivery. We got ready for delivery and the woman gave birth very easily. We waited for half an hour for the placenta; but it didn't come out normally. We got ready to take out the placenta by hand. We added Ocytocine injection in the serum because she was bleeding. We took out placenta by hand. Those in attendance said if we don't take her to the clinic; we must take her to the hospital for delivery of the placenta; and on the way she would lose a lot of blood and it would be harmful for her. The baby was male weighing 3.5Kg; and his condition was good. The baby was referred to the vaccine room; for BCG and OPV (0) vaccine. When she was discharged we gave the patient Healthy Mom liquid. The patient’s family were appreciative and very happy with the facilities of Jaghartan clinic and the expert staff.”
Aug 13, 2008
Snapshot (2008) of the Reproductive Health Project
By Alison Hendry | Administrative Assistant
Between January and June 2008, doctors in the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) clinics in Afghanistan have treated 9,347 women for reproductive health issues. Health education directly related to reproductive health issues (breast feeding, family planning, nutrition, vaccinations, and sexually transmitted diseases) is chosen by about 25% of the women who receive health education at the clinics. AIL has also held four-day reproductive health workshops for 247 women. So far in 2008 the AIL clinics have delivered 43 healthy babies.
The impact on those served is great. Following are just a few comments of women who have been helped:
Female doctor of the Imam Shish Nur Clinic said: “Habiba came to the clinic 9 months ago; and said that she had amenorrhea. I referred her to the clinic laboratory for a pregnancy test. The result of lab was positive. I congratulated her but she was upset because 25 years ago she got married and had been pregnant 17 times but unfortunately all of them miscarried. I did not think that this pregnancy would be full term as before. Again I referred her to complete all the tests and fortunately all the results were normal. She had a stepdaughter. I give hope to her that this time she would have a safe delivery and her own baby. I advised her to have monthly visits at the clinic. She was given Healthy Mom and Ferfolic. When she passed the seventh month of pregnancy she suffered from hypertension and pedal edema. I referred her to the laboratory for urine analysis test. The result of her examination was proteinurea; I took management of her. Weekly she has come to the clinic for follow up; her blood pressure was under control. A night she was going to have delivery and her family took her to the hospital for delivery. She gave birth 25 years of marriage. Two days later she came to the clinic with her baby; she was very happy and appreciated me and services of the Imam Shish Nur clinic. I was thrilled to see her with her baby. It was one of my best memories. She said I can't believe that after all this time I have a child.”
Midwives of the Jaghartan Clinic said: “One day when we arrived at the clinic a pregnant woman was waiting. She was in pain. Her name was Zia Gul and she had come for ANC to the clinic several times; her pain had started an hour ago, but when we examined her we could see she was near delivery. We got ready for delivery and the woman gave birth very easily. We waited for half an hour for the placenta; but it didn't come out normally. We got ready to take out the placenta by hand. We added Ocytocine injection in the serum because she was bleeding. We took out placenta by hand. Those in attendance said if we don't take her to the clinic; we must take her to the hospital for delivery of the placenta; and on the way she would lose a lot of blood and it would be harmful for her. The baby was male weighing 3.5Kg; and his condition was good. The baby was referred to the vaccine room; for BCG and OPV (0) vaccine. When she was discharged we gave the patient Healthy Mom liquid. The patient’s family was appreciative and very happy with the facilities of Jaghartan clinic and the expert staff.”