Media Examines Efforts To Treat Patients, Train Doctors In Afghanistan, Fight Malnutrition

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters;  Medical Students / Training;  Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 07 Jan 2010 - 3:00 PDT



Current ratings for:
'Media Examines Efforts To Treat Patients, Train Doctors In Afghanistan, Fight Malnutrition'

Patient / Public:not yet rated

Healthcare Prof:not yet rated

The Los Angeles Times examines the International Medical Corps' work in Afghanistan. "Although less well known than the Nobel-winning Doctors Without Borders, the [International Medical Corps] shares a reputation with its gutsy counterpart for working in places where no one else will go. ... In parts of Afghanistan where government forces have little control, staffers say, they are protected by traditional village councils, known as shuras. Although Taliban militants occasionally detain the group's trucks and personnel, they are usually released within a few days," the newspaper writes.

"From the beginning, the corps emphasized the need to train local health workers who would keep providing care long after foreign aid groups have packed up. In the process, they helped pioneer a new approach to providing help in countries struck by war and natural disaster," according to the Los Angeles Times. "Despite the risks, corps officials estimate they have trained about 1,500 Afghan health workers. Some of those graduates continued the group's work under Taliban rule, making it one of the few international organizations to have maintained a continuous presence, said country director Robert Lankenau."

The article describes the group's founding and its work with USAID (Zavis, 1/5).

In related news, the BBC looks at the factors contributing to malnutrition in Afghanistan. According to the news service, 54 percent of children under the age of 5 in the country are chronically malnourished. "Poverty is so deep that even many farmers are unable to feed their families," the BBC writes.

The article examines issues with international aid, politics and Afghanistan's government (Greste, 1/5).

*EDITORIAL NOTE: Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman serves on the International Medical Corps' board.

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.



Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Visit our primary care / general practice section for the latest news on this subject.
There are no references listed for this article.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
Kaiser. "Media Examines Efforts To Treat Patients, Train Doctors In Afghanistan, Fight Malnutrition." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 7 Jan. 2010. Web.
25 May. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/175319.php>
APA
Kaiser. (2010, January 7). "Media Examines Efforts To Treat Patients, Train Doctors In Afghanistan, Fight Malnutrition." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/175319.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.


Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Media Examines Efforts To Treat Patients, Train Doctors In Afghanistan, Fight Malnutrition'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Your Name:*
E-mail Address:*
Your Opinion Title:*
Opinion:*
This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*

* Fields marked with a * need to be filled in before you hit the submit button.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.




Primary Care / General Practice

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Primary Care News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Primary Care / General Practice Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »