Health
USAID has helped strengthen essential primary health care services throughout Iraq. USAID-supported emergency campaigns in 2005 alone immunized 98% of children between 1-5 years old (3.62 million) against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and 97% of children under five (4.56 million) against polio. USAID partners have trained 11,400 staff at over 2,000 community-based centers in almost every province to managing malnutrition in children. Over 600 primary health care centers have been provided with 'clinic in a box' kits of key equipment and furniture; over 2,500 primary health care workers have been trained to expand the availability of essential primary health care services to children under five.
Once considered the best in the region, Iraq's health system has suffered from years of neglect and war. Diarrhea, measles, respiratory infections, and malaria - compounded by under-nutrition affecting 30 percent of children under five - contribute to excessive rates of infant and child mortality. Lack of care during pregnancy contributes to high maternal mortality rates. Tuberculosis and cholera have re-emerged.
USAID, in partnership with UNICEF and WHO, helped the Ministry of Health (MoH) build capacity to enhance policy, increase access to healthcare, and improve essential services for mothers and children. Technical specialists work closely with communities to increase participation and improve primary healthcare services. USAID spent about $150 million in health projects in Iraq - nearly a quarter of the more than $600 million in health being invested overall by the U.S. government in Iraq.
Most of USAID's health activities ended in Summer 2006. USAID is continuing to coordinate with Iraq's Ministry of Health and other donors to ensure that these efforts are continued.
STRENGTHENING HEALTH SERVICES
USAID helped strengthen essential healthcare services throughout Iraq. Through training and technical assistance programs, USAID and UNICEF helped to build the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Health to improve services. These programs help ensure sustainable growth and development of the health sector.
Key Accomplishments
- Provided skills training to 3,200 primary care providers and physicians.
- Trained 2,000 health educators, teachers, religious leaders, and youth to mobilize communities on hygiene, diarrhea, breastfeeding, nutrition, and immunization issues.
- Established training and education centers in five governorates to support local healthcare training.
- Provided vaccines and cold chain equipment to selected remote health centers along with training of staff and social mobilization has increased routine immunization coverage from 60 to 74 percent.
- Minimized epidemics by re-establishing a disease surveillance and response system.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE
USAID programs improved the health of vulnerable populations in Iraq by increasing access to high quality, community-based primary healthcare. USAID has helped renovate medical facilities and equip hundreds of primary healthcare centers. Mobile medical units and trained primary health workers are helping bring essential healthcare services to remote and underserved areas.
Key Accomplishments
- Constructed six new primary healthcare centers.
- Renovated 110 medical facilities.
- Equipped 600 centers with basic clinical and lab equipment.
- Trained over 2,500 primary healthcare workers to improve access countrywide.
- Established five mobile medical units, provided basic training to medical staff, and supplied medication sufficient for 25,000 people.
- Disseminated public health information to families around the country.
PREVENTING COMMUNICABLE DISEASE OUTBREAKS
There have been no communicable disease outbreaks in Iraq over the past two years. USAID support to immunization programs has had visible results in minimizing the spread of childhood infectious diseases. National vaccination campaigns have helped keep Iraq free of polio. Cases of measles, the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in childhood, were reduced by 90 percent between 2004 and 2005 due to extensive immunization campaigns.
USAID has also supported the Ministry of Health in delivering routine immunizations by providing vaccines, syringes, cold chain equipment, and other supplies. In combination with USAID-supported social mobilization efforts, Iraq has seen a 23 percent increase in routine immunizations.
Key Accomplishments
- Vaccinated 3.2 million children under age 5 and 700,000 pregnant women with vaccination campaigns in partnership with UNICEF and WHO.
- Immunized 98 percent of children 1-3 years (3.62 million children) against measles, mumps, and rubella during 2005. As a result, there has been a 90 percent reduction in laboratory confirmed cases of measles between 2004 and 2005.
- Immunized 97 percent of children under five (4.56 million) against polio during the 2004-05 national polio immunization campaign, keeping Iraq polio-free.
- Routine immunization coverage - encouraged by provision of supplies, capacity building efforts, and social mobilization campaigns - increased from 60 percent in 2003 to 74 percent in 2005, a 23 percent increase.
HELPING IMPROVE NUTRITION FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
USAID programs confronted chronic and wide-spread under-nutrition, affecting nearly 30 percent of children under the age of five and compounding problems of disease and diarrhea. Iraqi women similarly suffer from poor nutrition and severe anemia.
Building on USAID support, the Government of Iraq has developed an Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Strategy to serve as a guide for action in the areas nutrition, child health and development, maternal and reproductive health, and household food security. This national strategy, based on the World Health Organization strategy, brings together public and private stakeholders across Iraq to ensure coverage and improve nutrition.
Key Accomplishments
- Developed a national plan to fortify wheat flour with iron and folic acid. Delivered a total of 165 metric tons of iron and folic acid supplements.
- Provided supplementary doses of vitamin A for more than 1.5 million nursing mothers and 600,000 children under two, and iron folate supplements for over 1.6 million women of childbearing age.
- Trained 11,400 staff at over 2,000 community child care units to screen for malnutrition and to provide monthly rations of high protein biscuits to malnourished children and pregnant mothers.
- Provided supplementary doses of vitamin A for more than 600,000 children under age 2 and 1.5 million lactating mothers
- Provided iron folate supplements for over 1.6 million women of childbearing age
- Screened more than 1.3 million children under age 5 for malnutrition
- Distributed high protein biscuits to more than 450,000 children and 200,000 pregnant women and nursing mothers
REDUCING CHILD MORTALITY
Under five mortality in 2003, currently estimated by the UNDP at 40 deaths per 1000 live births, was high compared to countries in the region. This mortality rate is linked to preventable diseases such as respiratory illness, diarrhea, measles, and malaria - all further compounded by high levels of malnutrition. USAID's effectiveness in restoring essential services has significantly improved treatment of these illnesses by providers and reduced children's risk from dying from these diseases.
It will take considerable time and investment to see changes in child health status with associated declines in morbidity and mortality, but USAID's efforts have made significant and sustainable contributions to that end.
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