The United States has developed a wide-ranging health care program for the Iraqi people, according to a fact sheet issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on July 28.

Through grants to CARE, UNICEF, World Vision, International Rescue Committee, and other international organizations, USAID points to substantial progress in the restoration of basic medical services and the strengthening of the overall health system in Iraq.

Among the successes cited by USAID are providing enough doses of measles, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and polio vaccines to treat 4.2 million children and 700,000 pregnant women in Iraq; and maintaining a system to watch for any cholera outbreaks.

Looking to the future, according to the fact sheet, "USAID has awarded a contract to Abt Associates, Inc. and grants to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). These partners will facilitate the rapid restoration of health services to the Iraqi population and strengthen the overall health system to ensure medium- to long-term viability in the country."

USAID Delivers Health Care to Iraqi Citizens

As part of the U.S. government's overall reconstruction assistance in Iraq, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has developed a comprehensive health care program to help maintain stability, ensure the delivery of essential services, and facilitate economic recovery.

Many Iraqis, especially women and children, are extremely vulnerable and are at great risk for disease and infection. By 2003, almost one-third of the children in the south and center of the country suffered from malnutrition. Low breastfeeding rates, high rates of female anemia, low birth weights, diarrheal disease, and acute respiratory infections all contribute to a high child mortality rate. Life expectancy at birth is 58 years, which is low in comparison to the average for least developed countries of 65 years.

Emergency relief activities related to health in Iraq were supported by USAID through awards to organizations such as CARE, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, GOAL, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and World Vision. To assist in revitalizing the health care system that had suffered from neglect over the past decade, USAID has awarded a contract to Abt Associates, Inc. and grants to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). These partners will facilitate the rapid restoration of health services to the Iraqi population and strengthen the overall health system to ensure medium- to long-term viability in the country.

Specific activities will include:
-- Raising basic health care standards;

-- Providing maternal and child health care to the majority of the population;

-- Strengthening nutritional programs for malnourished populations, especially women and children to include promotion of breastfeeding;

-- Rehabilitating health clinics, hospitals, and laboratories, including provision of equipment and training of staff;

-- Reestablishing disease surveillance, especially for infectious diseases such as cholera;

-- Reestablishing the distribution system for medicines;

-- Improving health knowledge by assessing current beliefs and practices and implementing appropriate behavior change intervention; and

-- Assisting the Ministry of Health with policy, regulatory, planning, and budgetary processes.

Program successes to date include:
-- Provided 22.3 million doses of measles, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and polio vaccines, enough to treat 4.2 million children and 700,000 pregnant women;

-- Reestablished routine immunizations for children, conducted a social mobilization campaign via television and printed material to inform communities about the restarting of routine immunization and conducted two National Immunization Days (June 22 and July 22);

-- Established a surveillance system to monitor for any cholera outbreaks;
-- Prepared and distributed public service announcements about hand washing, diarrheal disease and breastfeeding;

-- Awarded a grant to the Nurses and Doctors Professional Care Organization (an Iraqi non-governmental organization, or NGO) to assist in start-up sponsorship of the Iraqi Nurses' Association (INA) National Conference (July 15-16), purchase of nurses' uniforms and equipment for Yarmouk Hospital (Baghdad), and support to the INA;

-- Conducted needs assessment of 168 hospitals and referral centers and 82 primary health care centers;

-- Rehabilitated ten delivery rooms in hospitals and primary health care centers serving 30,000 in Basra;

-- Provided essential drugs and medical supplies, in conjunction with Save the Children, to two obstetric, gynecological, and pediatric hospitals in Mosul; and

-- Restored four looted health clinics in Kirkuk and returned them to operating status.

The U.S. government and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) will continue to work with Abt Associates, UNICEF and WHO, as well as other organizations, such as donors, international organizations, and NGOs to rehabilitate the overall health system in Iraq.