Estonia to further Afghan aid

TALLINN- The Estonian Foreign Ministry is helping launch first aid training for adults in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.

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

 "Many health problems that are widespread in developing nations can be lessened or prevented entirely by basic practices that are commonplace for us, like washing hands and cleaning wounds," said Paet.

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

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

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

Raisma stated that there is still a lot to do for developing the health care sector in HelmandProvince, since despite initial progress the mortality rate for women and children is still tragically high.

 

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

Afghanistan is one of Estonia's priority partner countries for development co-operation and developing the health care sector is central to our activities. An Estonian health care expert has been working in the city of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province since March 2008, carrying out Estonian development co-operation projects on site and consulting for the leadership of the UK Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Helmand provincial government on the development of the health care system.