Health

*Note: Unless otherwise noted, all information regarding health programming in Afghanistan is from 2019. Recent updates temporarily unavailable for safety and security reasons.

The Bayat Foundation has nourished the lives of Afghans by empowering women’s health since 2005 through the construction of thirteen (13) hospitals and clinics nationwide that have treated nearly four (4) million patients, as well as, responding to natural disasters and crises with its mobile clinic. The new 25,000 square foot Bayat Maternity & Neonatal Hospital in Kabul is expected to be completed in Autumn 2023. (2023) The foundation has responded to Afghanistan’s increasing famine and drought crises by accelerating and scaling its humanitarian response activities. In 2022, the Foundation shipped more than one (1) million prepackaged emergency meals for distribution among internally displaced people (IDP) and refugee camps nationwide, and also distributed more than 750,000 servings of vitamin-enriched infant formula for impacted children younger than 12 months. To address the ongoing drought, the Foundation also expanded its water accessibility program and drilled new wells in dozens of districts nationwide. (Updated 2023)

HEEDA‘s  vision is to promote a culture of impact and sustainability in Afghanistan through humanitarian, health, education, and economic development programs. Since its founding in 2010, HEEDA has created culturally sensitive programs and research to improve the lives of Afghans. HEEDA is actively organizing and deploying basic resources, technologies and technical assistance to both non governmental and governmental partners in Afghanistan. (Updated 2019)

The Lamia Afghan Foundation  The Lamia Afghan Foundation (LAF) was established in 2008 to improve the lives of girls and women through the building of schools (eight built) for girls, by providing economic opportunities for women, and by providing vocational and job training for women. The LAF also provided humanitarian aid to needy families in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)/Refugee camps, orphanages, schools, hospitals, and rural villages.  To date, the LAF has sent over 3.5 million pounds of humanitarian aid to 22 provinces in Afghanistan, supported four hospitals in Kabul with equipment and supplies, moved an ambulance from Chicago to a clinic LAF helped to build in Khairabad, in western Afghanistan, and humanitarian supplies for distribution to villages in Laghman, Nangarhar, and Nuristan Provinces to help refugee returnees from Pakistan.  The LAF had provided teachers for a school in the largest IDP Camp in Kabul. In the health sector, The LAF continues the work of their women’s medical clinic with a young Afghan woman doctor caring for many women and girls by delivering babies and performing surgeries. Furthermore, LAF worked to feed families in Afghanistan as well as getting their foundation employees and families to the United States, through the U.S. State Department P-2 process. As a result of LAF’s continued work in Afghanistan, 775 people were directly supported. Within those supported, hundreds of girls were educated, many women safely delivered babies, and girls were healed through improved health care and surgeries. (Updated 2024)

Relief International (RI), is an alliance of international non-governmental organizations that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing. RI works in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience. In Afghanistan, Relief International is helping to rebuild Afghanistan’s crippled healthcare system by rehabilitating and equipping medical facilities, and training doctors, midwives, female medical staff and surgeons to work in remote areas cut off from services.

Currently, RI’s work in Afghanistan centers on health and nutrition. While the majority of their health and nutrition programs are focused on providing healthcare to all people in the areas they operate in, RI also provides dedicated antenatal and postnatal services to women in its health facilities. In 2022, RI provided antenatal consultations to 5,809 women, and supported 1,806 pregnant or lactating women with nutritional services. In addition, the majority of people using Relief International’s other healthcare services (vaccination drives, outpatient consultations, mental health services, malnutrition treatment) in 2022 were women and children. In total, RI provided healthcare services to approximately 60,000 women and children in 2022, and this number will likely increase in 2023 as new healthcare programs come online. RI has worked in the health sector in Afghanistan since 1985, with a focus on Ghazni, Kapisa, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nimroz and Paktika. (Updated 2023)

Women for Afghan Women  (WAW) operates life-saving and life-changing programs in Afghanistan and NY, and advocates for women’s rights in Afghanistan, Washington, D.C., and around the world. As a community-based human rights organization, WAW has advanced its mission by working deep in the community, respecting the culture, religion and traditions of their clients. In Afghanistan, WAW operates 32 legal aid centers and emergency and long-term shelters for women and children in 13 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Since its inception in 2001, WAW has protected and empowered over 38,000 women and children and educated more than 362,000 individuals (men and women) on women’s rights under Islam and the Afghan Constitution. In recent years, WAW has also provided nearly 723,000 conflict-induced internally displaced persons and refugee returnees with protection and monitoring services. (Updated 2019)