Médecins Sans Frontières started working again in Afghanistan in 2009. The organisation’s return to the country – after five years – was motivated by the increasing number of signals that the overall situation for Afghans was getting worse rather than better. The country is becoming more insecure, and access to health services is problematic for large number of Afghans.

The lack of respect for medical facilities shown by all the belligerents involved in the conflict in Afghanistan, has turned hospitals into battlefields where staff and patients do not feel safe. It was crucial for Médecins Sans Frontières to secure agreements with all parties to ensure the hospitals were safe environments, so a ‘no weapons allowed’ policy was successfully implemented. This approach seems to be working, and in both hospitals our team is working with the existing hospital staff to provide quality medical care free of charge.

In the district hospital in the East of Kabul, Médecins Sans Frontières works to improve treatment procedures, the emergency room, and maternity services. By the end of 2009, nearly 19,000 consultations and 1,000 deliveries had been carried out, and almost 9,900 people had been immunised through the Extended Immunisation Program, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza. We also repaired and refurbished parts of the hospital.

In November 2009, we also started to support Boost provincial hospital in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province. Lashkargah’s inhabitants have been severely affected by the conflict, and this 150-bed facility is one of only two general care public hospitals in southern Afghanistan. We extended our support to all health services in the hospital, including maternity, paediatrics, surgery and emergency rooms. Since the start of the project, 1,100 consultations, more than 60 surgical interventions and nearly 160 deliveries have taken place. By ensuring a permanent presence of medical staff and free services, we aim to get the hospital running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We plan to extend our support to hospitals and rural health centres in other provinces in Afghanistan in 2010.

For its work in Afghanistan, Médecins Sans Frontières does not accept funding from any government. Instead, the organisation relies solely on donations from the public.

Médecins Sans Frontières has worked in Afghanistan since 2009.