Estonia to further Afghan aid

TALLINN- The Estonian Foreign Ministry is helping launch first aidtraining for adults in Afghanistan'sHelmand Province.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Estonia'ssupport for Helmand Province's Bost Hospital in the past hassignificantly improved the treatment possibilities there. The next step is toturn attention to the capability of local residents to care for their ownhealth and the health of their families.

 "Many health problemsthat are widespread in developing nations can be lessened or prevented entirelyby basic practices that are commonplace for us, like washing hands and cleaningwounds," said Paet.

"Establishing a first aid training network aimed primarilytowards women will help to increase the health-related knowledge of thepopulation and also include women more in community life," he added.

First aid training in health care facilities and women's education centers willcreate a network in which local women can pass the knowledge they acquire ontoothers. Those who complete the training will receive a first aid kit intendedfor home use as well as a first aid manual in Pashto.

The Estonian health care expert in Helmand Anu Raisma willhelp to find female doctors and people from local women's organizations toimplement the project, organize training for the instructors and start up thecourses. The fact that the current Estonian health care expert is female willfacilitate communication with local women's associations and female doctors.

Raisma stated that there is still a lot to do for developing the health caresector in HelmandProvince, since despiteinitial progress the mortality rate for women and children is still tragicallyhigh.

 

"In a situation where it's difficult to get medicalattention, knowledge of first aid and practical skills are extremely important.This will also offer residents of the province the chance to improve livingconditions and spread the knowledge of first aid to communities where access tomedical care is practically non-existent," said Raisma.

Afghanistan is one of Estonia'spriority partner countries for development co-operation and developing thehealth care sector is central to our activities. An Estonian health care experthas been working in the city of Lashkar Gah inHelmand province since March 2008, carrying out Estonian developmentco-operation projects on site and consulting for the leadership of the UKProvincial Reconstruction Team and the Helmandprovincial government on the development of the health care system.