wfn.org | CWS deploys mobile health clinic for Pakistan displaced

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CWS deploys mobile health clinic for Pakistan displaced; more health facilities needed quickly

Editors:  Hi-res photos to accompany this story are at
www.churchworldservice.org/hires

ISLAMABAD, May 28, 2009--Humanitarian agency Church World Service has
begun taking medical care to people displaced by fighting between the
Pakistan military and Taliban insurgents in the country's Northwest
Frontier Province.

The agency's basic services to people displaced in Mansehra and
Abbottabad include treatment for common diseases, identification of
pregnant women and providing free medicines. As of this week, the mobile
health unit deployed by Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan has
treated 350 people, mostly for diarrhea, skin diseases and respiratory
tract infections.

Church World has provided health services to the Afghan refugee
population in the affected areas for 30 years, and this long presence
has enabled the agency to quickly mobilize a mobile health unit to serve
Pakistanis who have been displaced, sometimes referred to as internally
displaced persons (IDPs).

Because they are living in extremely hot, mosquito-infested and
overcrowded conditions in camps and in host communities, the IDPs are
susceptible to a possible widespread outbreak of malaria or other
infections. While these diseases are treatable, an outbreak could
overwhelm existing health services and facilities and lead to
unnecessary deaths.

Pregnant women who traveled long distances without sufficient food and
water are at high risk in the camps and host communities. Although the
mobile unit cannot provide natal care, the team is providing iron
supplements and information regarding local hospitals to pregnant women.

CWS now is planning to expand its services to include immunizations
since many childrenâ??s regular immunization schedules, including for
polio, have been disrupted by the displacement.

The mobile unit currently operates with the capacity to see
approximately 50 displaced persons per day; however, expanded services
are necessary for the growing population of displaced persons. In the
longer term, CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan plans to include comprehensive
health care and expand its service area to Swabi.

CWS P/A meeting nutritional needs of IDPs

To assure that families become less susceptible to malnutrition or
related illnesses, CWS-P/A is providing family food packages that adhere
to â??Sphere standards,â?? which assure the type, quality and  quantity
of food assistance provided.

The food package contents are based upon the average need of 2,100
calories per person per day for a period of thirty days and include
health basics such as iodized salt. CWS has made careful preparation of
culturally relevant food items.  The use of quality local items and
consideration of average family sizes is a cornerstone of CWS-P/A
emergency response in Pakistan.

By targeting the most vulnerable IDPs, such as female-headed
households, CWS-P/A also is helping to equip families who otherwise
would be more susceptible to ailments caused by any one of the
aforementioned health risk factors.

Even with the relief afforded by the mobile health clinic, there still
is a need for well-equipped and well-staffed health facilities able to
serve all the displaced people--especially mothers and children--who
need medicine and care.

Contributions to support Church World Service emergency response and
recovery efforts may be made online at
www.churchworldservice.org/donate, by phone (800.297.1516), or
sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Church World Service works with partners to eradicate hunger and
poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.  It is a
member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, a global
alliance of churches and related agencies work
ing to save lives and
support communities in emergencies worldwide.

Media Contacts:

Lesley Crosson, 212-870-2676 lcrosson@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin, 24/7, 781-925-1526 jdragin@gis.net