Investing In People: Health and Education
In 2002, when schools first reopened, ninety-seven percent of the country's girls did not attend school. By the end of Taliban rule, 80 percent of existing schools were either severely damaged or destroyed. To improve the situation, USAID has constructed or refurbished over 670 schools and distributed textbooks, school supplies and training materials. USAID created an accelerated learning program that enrolled over 170,000 students, more than half of which were girls. USAID also works to improve the quality of teaching, management, and information systems at Afghan universities, and teacher training through radio broadcasts reaches 65,000 teachers daily in all 34 provinces.
The health status of Afghans is among the worst in the world - one out of every five Afghan children dies before the age of five. To provide Afghans with access to basic health services, USAID has constructed or refurbished over 670 clinics throughout the country, established over 3,000 health posts, and supports the operations of 360 health facilities, including the provision of all medicines and expendable supplies. USAID has also trained over 1,000 midwives to work in hospitals and clinics throughout the country, which has helped reduce maternal and infant mortality.
