Health Programme

BRAC Afghanistan's health interventions are launched just after its registration with the Government of Afghanistan in June 2002. Initially BRAC Afghanistan started community based health care programme aiming to improve the health status of Afghans particularly to the rural poor. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan introduced the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) in 2003. The BPHS was developed based on the priority issues for the health sector and with aim of improving access of population to the minimum basic health care services. The MoPH is following the contracting out policy and playing stewardship role for the implementation of BPHS, and the performance of the NGO is assessed through third party evaluation.

BRAC Afghanistan become one of the active implementing partner of MoPH in the implementation of BPHS in Helmand, Kabul and Nimroz provinces funded by the MoPH and USAID.

BRAC Afghanistan is also the Principal Recipient (PR) for Tuberculosis and Malaria control programme of the Global Fund Round 8. BRAC Afghanistan health programme is implementing TB control programme in countries 34 provinces.

Major donors of BRAC Afghanistan Health Programme are; The World Bank, Oxfam Novib, USAID, The Global Fund, The Union, Spanish PRT (AECI) and Gavi.

Various Health Projects of BRAC Afghanistan

Community Based Health Care Project (CBHP):
This project is implemented in eight districts of two provinces i.e. Parwan and Nangahar with financial support of Oxfam Novib. The primary objectives of the CBHP is to deliver quality health care services at the community level. Initially, this project was for the three years from January 2005 to December 2007 then it was extended for 10 months (upto October 2008) and currently the project has extended for another three years which started from November 2008.

Community Midwifery Education (CME):
This program is implemented in Badghis province. Total of 53 Community midwifes were graduated in up to September, 2011.

BRAC Afghanistan has also been implemented CME project in Nimroz provincefinancially supported by GAVI/HSS.
.The objective of the CME is to build capacities of the community midwifes in order to reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortalities.

Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) Project:
This is a one year pilot project financially supported by UNICEF in 6 different districts under six provinces in Afghanistan . BRAC Afghanistan is implementing this project only in Surkhrod district of Nangahar province and in other districts it is implemented by other NGOs. The objective of this project is to improve health status of the population particularly maternal and child health through active participation of the community people.

Mobile Health Team
This is a GAVI/MoPH funded project through Ministry of Public Health. The duration of Mobile Health Team projects is 40 months. This project will be implemented in Nimroz and Badghis provinces. This is an innovative strategy to ensure health for all, particularly for women and children living in inaccessible parts of the country.

Global Fund Round 8
BRAC Afghanistan has been selected as Principal Recipient (PR) for both Malaria and TB components of Global Fund Round 8. BRAC Afghanistan will be CO-PR with MoPH for TB component and Health Net TPO and MoPH for Malaria component.

TB CAP Project
TB control assistance programme (TB CAP) is a project supported by USAID through MSH in Afghanistan. The objective of the project is to improve the TB control programme in Afghanistan. The project is implemented in a partnership of BRAC Afghanistan, MSH and WHO. BRAC Afghanistan will be implemented the community based DOTS component of the project through replicating the community based DOTS model introduced through FIDELIS project. This is a one year project and BRAC Afghanistan will support the BPHS implementers in 4 provinces i.e Badakshan, Baghlan, Jawzjan and Herat provinces to implement the community based DOTS through their existing health system.

BRAC Health Program At a glance (as of August, 2011)