Healthcare on wheels
In Afghanistan, UNICEF mobile health and nutrition teams bring life-saving services to children and women in some of the most distant communities
“My job is to screen children for signs of malnutrition. Sometimes all is well, but on a bad day, there may be three cases of severe acute malnutrition in the same family.”
Shukria, a Nutrition Nurse, travels to some of the farthest flung communities in Afghanistan with a UNICEF-supported mobile health and nutrition team. This team is one of the only ways some people can access healthcare, as many communities are located far from static health facilities.
In Afghanistan, 85 per cent of children do not receive the variety and quantity of foods they need for healthy growth and development. This leaves them vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies and chronic malnutrition which can stunt children's growth.
That is why roving nurses like Shukria are so important to reach remote communities with the health and nutrition services they need.
For years, UNICEF has supported these mobile health and nutrition teams to provide healthcare in communities where there is no static health facility, or in areas difficult to access due to weather or geography.
The mobile teams include a doctor, a psychosocial counselor, a midwife, a nutrition counselor, and a vaccinator. These men and women provide a variety of health and nutrition services:
- Preventive and curative services for common communicable diseases;
- Antenatal and post-natal care for mothers and babies;
- Routine immunizations for children and women, like measles and polio;
- Nutrition services and screening for children under age five;
- Psychosocial support.
UNICEF ensures services provided are aligned with international quality standards, that the mobile teams have the resources they need to travel between communities, and that medicines and supplies are stocked and available in all seasons.
UNICEF also supports training for health workers on the mobile health and nutrition teams, equipping them with skills to deliver life-saving services to children and families in need.
In an emergency, these teams deploy quickly to communities affected by earthquakes, flash floods or other disasters. When local health facilities are damaged or destroyed, mobile teams and clinics are invaluable to help children and women get the care they need, such as first aid or psychological support.
In 2023, UNICEF-supported mobile health and nutrition teams provided healthcare to nearly 1 million people in remote, hard-to-reach communities.
Health education sessions are a critical part of health care.
Mobile health teams also lead these education sessions for parents, so mothers can learn important tips on breastfeeding techniques, preparing and feeding their children healthy and balanced meals, when to get vaccinated, and good hygiene practices like handwashing with soap.
With these sessions, health and nutrition workers can better ensure families are equipped with knowledge to care for themselves when the mobile team must move on to the next community.
UNICEF is grateful to all partners who supported mobile health and nutrition teams in Afghanistan in 2023, including the European Union, USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the Japan Committee for UNICEF, the governments of Japan and Korea, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and countries contributing to flexible thematic funding, as well as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in 2024.
