Fozia’s Efforts to Improve the Health of Women and Children in Afghanistan

HELMAND, Afghanistan 18 July 2022 – 25-year-old Fozia is a trained midwife, who works at Nawa Chalakh health facility in Nawa district, Helmand province, south of Afghanistan. Three years ago, she joined UNICEF supported group of Female Mobiliser Vaccinators (FMV), whose work is to educate mothers visiting the health facilities on the importance of vaccination, health care, safe delivery, antenatal care, postnatal care, home hygiene and exclusive breastfeeding.

“I’m happy to be part of the FMVs initiative,” says Fozia, one of the few women supporting health facilities in Helmand province. “I’m glad to have gotten this opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of women and children. I also earn a living for myself and family.”

Fozia joins a group of 42 FMVs working in various health facilities in Helmand province. Every day, she commutes for nearly one hour from her home in Nawa district to the health center. She is passionate about her work.

“When I arrive at the health facility, I prepare and conduct health education sessions for mothers waiting for different health services including the current outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea,” explains Fozia. “I also provide assistance to routine immunization services and administer polio vaccines.”

Fozia goes further to explain how happy and motivated she feels, whenever she provides services to mothers and children.

“When I see the positive outcome of the services I provide to mothers and children, I feel a sense of fulfilment in my work,” says Fozia. “I connect very well with the mothers. They consider me as one of their own, which makes them to ask questions freely. Sometimes they confide to me personal health issues, which I refer them to the appropriate care provider.”

“I use photos of children affected by polio or measles to show mothers that these diseases are real and can affect their children if they are not vaccinated,” says Fozia. “These pictures and relevant flipchart have helped in a good way to change the mindset of many vaccine refusal mothers. However, there are a few who don’t get convinced. I share their names with health facility to follow up.”

Fozia’s efforts alone have led to administration of 665 vaccination doses of tetanus to women in the first five months of 2022. Her contributions have gone a long way to protect women against tetanus considering the low coverage of tetanus in Helmand province.

Nawa Chalakh health facility receives an average of 90 deliveries per month. Fozia is always ready to ensure that all expectant mothers have adequate protection against tetanus before delivery and that they understand their newborn babies will need various vaccines to protect them against childhood diseases.

UNICEF has recruited 577 FMVs across the country to provide health education to women and encourage them to vaccinate their children against polio and other childhood preventable diseases. This initiative has been made possible through the generous support of Rotary International and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The programme will continue to build the capacity of these women to promote social change in eradicating polio in Afghanistan.