EU Pledges to Provide Aid to Improve Health Services in 10 Afghan Provinces

Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 19 September

[Presenter] More than 80 per cent of the people of Afghanistan have access to health services, but five million Afghans do not enjoy medical services.

The Public Health Ministry said that the European Union will provide 50m dollars in the next two years in order to help health services in 10 provinces of Afghanistan.

[Correspondent] The Public Health Ministry and the EU signed the agreement [to provide 50m dollars] a month ago. Hospitals, basic and pilot health facilities will be built in 10 provinces with the use of these funds.

[Mohammad Amin Fatemi, captioned as public health minister of Afghanistan] The Netherlands which is a member of the EU has allocated additional 4m dollars for the construction of 11 health centres in Urozgan Province. The EU promised to pay a total of 54m dollars in the next 23 months to provide health services in 10 provinces of the country.

[Hansjrg Kretschmer, captioned as head of European Commission delegation] Despite security problems in Afghanistan, the EU will support the Public Health Ministry for long-term in order to provide health services to the people.

[Correspondent] In line with figures given by the Public Health Ministry, although the mortality of mothers and children aged under five decreased by 25 per cent compared to the previous year, still 200 children out of 1,000 die due to infectious diseases every year, as well as 1,600 mothers out of 100,000 die during delivery. Taking this problem into consideration, the EU pledged 160m dollars in the next four years.

[Video shows a hospital, the Afghan health minister and the head of the EU commission delegation speaking]

Originally published by Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1400 19 Sep 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.