Facing challenges, building hope
July 2007
 Jhpiego continues
to expand its work in disaster and conflict settings around the world—from the shores of
Indonesia, to the mountains of Pakistan, to the deserts of the Sudan. Jhpiego's foray into
such challenging situations began with our efforts to rebuild midwifery services in Afghanistan
after the fall of the Taliban. And after the devastating tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia,
in December 2004, Jhpiego was well placed to undertake a similar effort there because of
our strong presence in the area before the disaster.
Based on Jhpiego's successful work in Aceh, the American Refugee Committee
International (ARC) sought our expertise to implement a pilot project for reproductive health
providers working in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bagh, Pakistan. This area
was ravaged by the October 2005 earthquake.
The objective of this project was to update health care providers to deliver
high-quality reproductive health services as well as to begin training other providers in
relevant skills. This effort was a success, although the training took place under
challenging circumstances. For example, because there was no official training space, the
Jhpiego trainers had to conduct the activity in a large tent in extreme heat.
Jhpiego continued its successful collaboration with ARC—this time in Darfur,
Sudan. Jhpiego staff traveled to Nyala in southern Darfur in December 2006 to conduct a
training for local health care providers, similar to the one conducted in Bagh.
Darfur presented even more challenges than Pakistan because of the ongoing
conflict and security concerns. Participants said they were grateful for the training
opportunity and expressed their gratitude. "They’re working in such harsh conditions. This
training really boosted their morale and gave them important tools to use in their work,"
said Program Officer Udaya Thomas, one of the Jhpiego trainers.
Jhpiego's collaboration with ARC in Pakistan and Sudan has continued in 2007
with follow-up technical support.
Jhpiego has worked extensively in Pakistan since 2003, and was in a strong
position to partner with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on "Primary Health Care
Revitalization, Integration and Decentralization in Earthquake-affected areas (PRIDE),"
another disaster-relief effort in Pakistan. The four-year USAID-funded program, which began
in August 2006, focuses on improving primary health care services for the populations in the
earthquake-devastated districts of Bagh and Mansehra in northern Pakistan.
In addition to the usual challenges staff face in getting a new project off
the ground, PRIDE staff have had to overcome some unique obstacles because of the magnitude
of the disaster. In the Bagh district, few structures remained standing after the earthquake.
Staff have to travel on roads that are often impassable, especially in the winter months,
to reach makeshift health clinics for their work.
"Despite the many challenges PRIDE has had to face, we have made real
progress," said Rebecca Dineen, Senior Program Officer.
Reproductive and primary health care are often overlooked in conflict and
disaster settings, but clearly these services are still needed. Jhpiego's collaborations
with IRC and ARC illustrate the potential of merging the strengths of relief and
development—such partnerships are critical to offering hope to these populations, and to
helping them rebuild their lives.
About Jhpiego
For nearly 40 years, Jhpiego, (pronounced "ja-pie-go"), has empowered front-line health
workers by designing and implementing simple, low-cost, hands-on solutions that
strengthen the delivery of health care services, following the
household-to-hospital continuum of care. We partner with community- to
national-level organizations to build sustainable, local capacity through
advocacy, policy and guidelines development, and quality and performance
improvement approaches.
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