Estonia Extends Mission of Health Care Expert in Afghanistan

The Foreign Ministry is extending the mission of health care expert Anu Raisma, who works to co-ordinate development co-operation in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, by half a year to the end of July this year.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Afghanistan is still one of the primary destinations for Estonian development co-operation and among our aid projects, health care is in a crucial position because it allows for actual improvement of the standard of living in Afghanistan. "With its aid projects in Afghanistan, Estonia has focused on building up the medical system in Helmand Province. As a result of the work of the health care expert, our health care aid project has been able to support the development of medical care in Helmand," said the foreign minister. "However, there is still much to be done. The mortality rate among women and children is still tragically high. In Helmand Province, which has a population comparable to that of Estonia, there are only slightly more than 1300 people in the health care sector and fewer than 100 of them are doctors," Paet noted.

The primary responsibility of the Estonian health care expert is co-ordinating the building up of Helmand Province’s network of medical establishments, emergency medical service, and other elements of the health care sector.

Anu Raisma, a member of the NPO Mondo, has long-time experience in the health care sector and has participated in missions in various crisis areas in Indonesia and Pakistan under the auspices of the Estonian Disaster Relief Team. Raisma has been a member of the Disaster Relief Team since 1999.

Since March 2008, an Estonian health care expert has been working in the city of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province. The expert implements Estonia’s development co-operation project on location and consults with the board of the United Kingdom’s development team and Helmand’s provincial government about developing the health care system. Prior to March 2009 the Estonian health care expert in Afghanistan was Argo Parts.

There are about 1.4 million people living in Helmand Province and fewer than 100 doctors. There are medical aid stations in the larger centrums of the region such as Musa Oala, Kajaki, Sangin and Naw Zad, but these are merely primary health care stations, and many of them lack a fully trained doctor.

Afghanistan has been one of Estonia’s priority partners for co-operation development since 2006. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries on earth. A large part of the country’s population lives in extreme poverty, especially women and children. Close to 70% of the people are illiterate and 46% of Afghan children lack access to education. Developing at its current rate, Afghanistan will have difficulties achieving the UN Millennium development Goals.

Additional information about Estonia’s contributions to Afghanistan: http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/4080

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