Afghanistan Nutrition Health Centers

Project Summary

Afghanistan has always been strategically positioned along trade routes, making it a key point of transit. Migration, therefore, has been an integral part of the country's historical identity. Alongside its geographical location, political uncertainties and internal conflicts have also contributed to migration patterns. The internal turmoil that began with the Soviet invasion in 1979 has led to significant impoverishment and security issues within the country. Afghanistan's transition into a country that generates migrants, especially due to the internal turmoil in 2021, has left the region facing an increasingly growing risk of systematic collapse and humanitarian disaster. Acute malnutrition is rapidly increasing nationwide, with 95% of families experiencing inadequate food consumption and food insecurity. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), more than 24.4 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance to survive.

Presently, the nutrition situation in Afghanistan continues to be alarming. According to the latest nutrition surveys conducted across 34 provinces of Afghanistan, it has been determined that 33 out of 34 provinces are currently at or above the global acute malnutrition threshold, indicating a nutrition emergency compounded by multiple aggravating factors. 

Each year, an estimated 3.1 million children under the age of five, along with 719,960 pregnant and lactating women, are affected by acute malnutrition.

So far, approximately 1 million acutely malnourished children under the age of five have been unable to access treatment services. This is due to the destructive effects of conflicts, socio-economic conditions, poverty, drought, and limited access to essential services.

Yeryüzü Doktorlar provides nutrition and health services to malnourished individuals in rural areas of Afghanistan through 18 health centers and 11 mobile health teams.

In our Afghanistan Nutrition Health Centers, a team consisting of 1 project coordinator, 29 nutrition specialists and midwives, 1 M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) officer, 1 HR/logistics officer, 1 finance officer, 1 media officer, 2 cleaners, and 1 technical officer. This totals to a team of 37 individuals working tirelessly to address the nutritional needs of the population.

Achievements and Impact

During the August–November period, nutrition screening and nutrition treatment services were delivered to mothers and children through the Afghanistan Nutrition Health Centers. Activities are presented below on a monthly basis, structured by main service areas and activity lines.

In August, a total of 20,797 nutrition screening sessions were conducted. These included 9,456 screenings for mothers and 11,341 screenings for children.
Within the scope of nutrition treatment services, 2,202 individuals were reached, comprising 736 mothers and 1,466 children.

In September, 20,511 nutrition screening sessions were recorded. Of these, 9,477 were for mothers and 11,034 were for children.
Under nutrition treatment services, 2,129 individuals received services, including 793 mothers and 1,336 children.

In October, 20,410 nutrition screening sessions were delivered. These consisted of 9,683 screenings for mothers and 10,727 screenings for children.
During the same month, 2,233 individuals benefited from nutrition treatment services, including 826 mothers and 1,407 children.

In November, a total of 17,739 nutrition screening sessions were conducted. These included 7,949 screenings for mothers and 9,790 screenings for children.
Within the scope of nutrition treatment services, 1,468 individuals were reached, comprising 373 mothers and 1,095 children.

Period Totals (August–November)

Over the August–November period, a total of 79,457 nutrition screening sessions were conducted, reaching 36,565 mothers and 42,892 children.
During the same period, nutrition treatment services were provided to 8,032 individuals, including 2,728 mothers and 5,304 children.

Conclusion

Between August and November, the Afghanistan Nutrition Health Programme continued to deliver essential nutrition screening and treatment services to mothers and children through its network of health centers. The reported figures demonstrate sustained service delivery across all four months, reaching a significant number of beneficiaries through nutrition screening and treatment interventions. These results underline the programme’s operational capacity to provide critical nutrition services to vulnerable populations and contribute to addressing acute malnutrition needs in targeted rural areas of Afghanistan.