ITFC at Herat Regional Hospital - Report

Like much of Afghanistan, Herat is suffering from the crumbling of the healthcare system. Health workers have not received their salaries for months. International aid has been largely put on standby following the takeover of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, also known as the Taliban) on 15 August 2021, resulting in the poor functioning or closing of many health facilities.

The third wave of COVID-19 is practically over, but the fourth wave looms large already and Covid-19 vaccination coverage remains extremely low. MSF has been working in Herat since 2018 has significantly expanded its operations in 2021, to respond to increased needs in the area.

Since December 2019, MSF has been supporting the Herat Regional Hospital’s Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC). The majority of the patients and caretakers travel long distances to come for care, and some from as far away as Badghis, Ghor and Farah. Between August and October 2021, the clinic’s capacity has been increased from the initial 40 beds to 60, then to 100, as the number of malnourished children spiked dramatically, resulting in occupancy rates well above the maximum capacity. This happened as the worsening economic conditions in the country and the closing of other health facilities in the area compounded the effects of unfavourable climate conditions and persistent drought.