Responding to IDPs in Northwest Frontier Province

While war wages around them, Frontier Primary Health Care (FPHC) struggles to assist in mitigating the impact of the disaster on women and children.

Frontier Primary Health Care is a small Pakistani NGO, working with 200,000 people at 14 separate sites in four districts in Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. They are well known to the Hillman Medical Education Fund having recently received a small grant for training and supervising traditional birth attendants. FPHC works in ten Afghan refugee camps and the surrounding Pakistani communities providing the full range of primary health care at the cost of $2 per person per year. FPHC have also had some experience in responding to disasters with the recent quakes and floods in the region.

Northwest Frontier Province has been swamped with more than 2 million internally displaced people (IDP), according to the UN. It is one of the most extensive migrations of IDPs on the planet as people take flight from intensive US and Pakistani bombing, drone attacks and fires in Swat, Bajaur, Lower Dir and Buner districts. Fleeing their homes, they are quite literally running for their lives. 80% of the refugees have arrived in Mardan and Charsadda, the target area of Frontier Primary Health Care.

As the disaster has unfolded, FPHC has been providing free medical and maternity services at all 14 of their health centers including the Ahmed Shah Abdali Hospital in Mardan. On May 7^th, 2009 Frontier Primary Health Care arranged for emergency health care services for IDPs in one camp and was planning how they could assist with emergency health care and nutrition rehabilitation services in four other camps.

In discussions with UNICEF, FPHC indicated that although they have limited resources, their staff is eager to assist. By May 10th, staff had been deputed and health posts established in two IDP camps . Community labour rooms in Mardan and Nowsherra were also taking on deliveries of the IDPs.

In a recent email, Dr. Emel Khan, executive director of FPHC, said,"The security situation is frightening. Though there is no specific threat to FPHC or its outlets, every one in our target area is at risk and scared. Noone knows when and where something wrong will happen."

Some IDPs are able to go to the homes of relatives but most look for shelter, food and health care where they can find it. The people, especially the pregnant mothers and children, have been arriving in miserable condition as the unrest and violence in their homes has been ongoing for many months. Many women and children have nutritional deficiencies. Civil society groups,government and common people are doing their best to provide relief.

Four main camps have now been established in Mardan district, Jalala, Sheikh Shehzad town, Mazdoorabad and Sheikh Yasin town. Emergency and comprehensive health care at the IDP camp at Sheikh Yasin town was officially delegated to FPHC. FPHC staff have continued to provide round the clock services with their own resources assisted by donations from friends and staff. Working in their regular health centers during the day, many staff take on additional evening and night duties at the IDP camps,extending their working days to 18 hours.

FPHC have been using their own meagre drug supplies as supplies have been slow to arrive and 700- 800 patients daily present at the clinics with diarrhea, dysentery, respiratory infections and skin conditions in addition to the pregnant women who present for delivery.

FPHC urgently need funds to continue to provide medical supplies and nutritional support to mothers and children. Check here to find out more about the Hillman Medical Education Fund and Rose Charities. Rose Charities Canada is able to accept and send donations directly to Frontier Primary Health Care and provide tax receipts for Canadians. For a USA tax receipt donate through Rose Charities US

Photos: FPHC responds to Earthquake; Lady doctors hold MCH clinic during emergency; FPHC hold emergency clinics during Floods.

2009 Recipients of the Hillman Awards in Kenya

Letter from Grace Irimu of the Kenya Pediatric Association to Prof Elizabeth Hillman

Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 1:41 PM
Subject: FW:
Dear Prof Hillman ,

We had very successful Kenya Paediatric Association Annual Scientific Conference which was held from 22nd April to 25th April in Mombasa.

Thanks a lot for the Hillman Leadership Award. You sent funds to sponsor one person; but we were able to use the funds to sponsor 2 people- they shared a double room in the hotel and they were given money to travel by bus. Finally they added their cash and were able to take a flight to Mombasa. The two postgraduate students were:

Dr Jalemba Aluvaala - the postgraduate student who have contributed most to training of ETAT+ in the Dept and at the National level.
Dr John Ngugi- he is the outgoing Chief Resident and has demonstrated outstanding leadership within the Dept and outside the Dept.

Attached please find their picture posing with the Chairman of the Dept Prof Dorothy Mbori-Ngacha.

During the award & certificate presentation “The Hillmans and the Hillman Medical Education Fund” were introduced to the audience and people really were really touched and appreciated what Prof Hillman is doing for the medical education in Kenya.

We are in the process of developing an objective criteria for selecting the postgraduate student with the most outstanding leadership skills. A draft has been circulated to the members of staff and the postgraduate students. Once it is discussed at the Dept level then we shall forward it to you.

Prof we missed you in the Conference and we hope that you shall join us in our next year conference and meet the paediatricians from all over the country.

Grace