$1.2 million health services plan for Afghan refugees

Over 60,000 Afghan refugees in Balochistan would benefit by the end of August from a comprehensive programme undertaken at an estimated cost of 1.2 million dollars.
The US funded programme under implementation in 10 urban Quetta slums and 12 refugee villages in the districts of Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Loralai and Chagai, aims at improving the quality of Afghan refugees through enhanced social services and training in Balochistan.
Mercy Corps, an international relief and development organisation operating in more than 35 countries and reaching six million people the world over, has been mentoring Afghan refugees technical, managerial and organisational development in Balochistan prior to their repatriation to Afghanistan.
According to Mercy Corps Director Faiza Jam Mohammad, the programme also aims at improving safe water resources, health and sanitation, water conservation practices reducing the risk of waterborne diseases among Afghan refugees. The programme, she said, also addresses health care deficiencies through offering quality preventive and curative services by local partners.
Direct benefit would accrue in 10 urban Quetta slums and 12 villages in four districts of Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Loralai and Chagai from wells, water system, latrines, health, hygiene, education and vocational training. Moreover, Afghan refugees would have easy access to healthcare services.
These services would include outpatient care, referrals to specialised care, birth centre, trained community health workers, community based TB detection, its treatment and a nutritional rehabilitation centre for malnourished children.
Skill training, Faiza said, would enable Afghan refugees to improve their home economy and make best use of same skill on their return to Afghanistan.
About refugees repatriation to Afghanistan, she said that Mercy Corps would also assist UNCHR and Pakistan in fulfilling a tripartite agreement. The European Commission (EC) has already approved 1,016,883 Euro for implementation of this programme in Pakistan.
The programme aims at increasing economic viability of 20,000 Afghan refugees training in transferable vocational trades, marketing and resource conservation.
Health services and mental preparation scenarios would also equip Afghan refugees' return. Initially, 13,000 Afghan refugees in Chagai, Loralai, Killa Abdullah and Pishin districts would be prepared for return to Afghanistan, Faiza said.