The FMIC’s Seventh Annual Scientific Conference held on Saturday focused on United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals #3 (SDG 3) - “to attain healthy lives and wellbeing for all ages by 2030,” in the context of Afghanistan. This year’s conference saw Minister of Public Health, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Dr Ferozuddin Feroz join doctors, nurses, academics and public policy experts from public and private sector, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Aga Khan University and La Chaine de l’Espoir to discuss health proposals that could have an immediate and long-lasting impact on Afghanistan’s healthcare service delivery and infrastructure.
With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to 2015, substantial progress was made to increase life expectancy, decrease morbidity and mortality rates, increase access to clean water and sanitation, reduce malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, much more efforts are needed to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for all. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than six million children die before their fifth birthday each year. Maternity, HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis still cost the world hundreds and thousands of lives each year across the world, specially developing regions.
In Afghanistan, 97 out of 1,000 children die under the age of five and every two hours a woman dies due to pregnancy related causes. Infectious diseases, maternity, newborn conditions and malnutrition account for more than 50% of deaths and disability in the country (WHO).
“The conference subject of 'Healthy lives and wellbeing for all' is highly relevant to the Ministry of Public Health as the main policy initiative of the Ministry is to ensure that there is a balance between downstream health care and upstream health. As it states in the health policy document, Quality health care is vital to all of us at some time in our life. To be healthy is vital to all of us all the time", said Minister of Public Health, Dr Ferozuddin Feroz at the conference. “Also goal three of the sustainable development goals is 'Good health and well-being'. Mahatma Gandhi once said 'It is health that is real wealth not pieces of gold and silver'. Such academic events help us identify areas that deserve our concentrated attention. We hope that with our partners like the Aga Khan Development Network and the French Government we can work specifically to address such issues”, he added.
Speaking at the conference Mr Hanse Pascal, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of France in Afghanistan and Mr François Rivest, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Canada in Afghanistan reassured their support and committed partnership with FMIC in its endeavours to provide high quality healthcare services to the people of Afghanistan.
Dr Eric Cheysson, President La Chaine de l’Espoir, during his remarks mentioned that such a scientific event provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of researchers in the improvement of health and wellbeing of people in Afghanistan.
In his presentation, Dr Jose Uroz Tristan, Head of Paediatric Surgery - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Teaching Hospital for Mothers and Children – Spain, outlined the importance of surgical interventions in improving the quality of life. He also highlighted that in the context of Afghanistan, given the resources and facilities, surgeons can play a great role in improving the morbidity and mortality rates with timely surgical intervention to many people in need.
The one-day conference heard discussions on Governance, Population and Public Health; Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health; Innovations in Medicine and Surgery; Emerging Trends in Medical Care and Academics; and Medical and Nursing Care Quality and Patient Safety. A total of 128 projects were presented and over 300 participants were in attendance.
FMIC is the product of an innovative public-private partnership between the Governments of Afghanistan and France, the French NGO La Chaine de L’Espoir/Enfants Afghans, and the Aga Khan Development Network (with support from the Government of Canada). It is managed by the Aga Khan University. It is the first hospital in Afghanistan to perform open and closed paediatric heart surgeries by local Afghan team of surgeons. In 2015, with support from La Chaine de L’Espoir and Aga Khan University, FMIC started Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and adult cardiac surgeries. In November 2016, FMIC started comprehensive services for women with 52 new maternal beds and, with 14-beds, the first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Afghanistan. This expansion will contribute to considerable improvements towards health service delivery and infrastructure for women and children in Afghanistan.
Mr Lee Hilling, Chairman, FMIC Provisional Operating Committee in his opening remarks pointed on FMIC’s initiatives for the improvement of healthcare in Afghanistan both clinical and medical education through Post Graduate Medical Education Programme, eLearning, other training opportunities for nurses and doctors and research.
The conference was also attended by representatives from Government of Afghanistan ministries, the diplomatic community, AKDN agencies, national and international NGOs, civil society organisations, healthcare providers around Afghanistan and media.
The event was funded by Health Action Plan for Afghanistan (HAPA) – a consortium consisting of the Government of Canada, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Aga Khan Foundation, Canada – and FMIC.
