Funding from The StratREAL Foundation will help Merlin to provide desperately needed health care to children and young mothers in Afghanistan. One in four children die before the age of five in Afghanistan, often from preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria.

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Merlin-supported Children’s Health
Clinic in Drayemm under supervision
of skilled midwife .

Health services are severely limited and there is a need for trained medical staff and equipment. With support from the StratREAL Foundation, Merlin aims to reduce high child mortality rates and improve the level of care available.

The funding will support the following five areas of Merlin’s work in Afghanistan:

1. Vaccinating children

Access to trained doctors and nurses is severely limited in some areas of Afghanistan and very few children are vaccinated against dangerous diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and hepatitis B. Funding from the StratREAL Foundation will be used to vaccinate 3000 women and children who would not otherwise receive this protection.

2. Ensuring children grow to be strong

In Afghanistan 50% of children are malnourished and therefore more susceptible to illness. Doctors and nurses at 19 health clinics will be taught to understand the factors involved in healthy growth and development, bringing good health care to 35 000 children each year.

3. Caring for new born babies

Women face a one in six lifetime chance of dying during childbirth because of the lack of trained midwifes and antenatal care. The StratREAL Foundation will fund additional training for birth attendants ensuring that pregnant women receive adequate care during and after the birth of their child.

4. Reducing death from preventable disease

The highest cause of death of children under the age of five is diarrhoea, a condition that is easy cured with a simple course of treatment. Merlin is providing medicines and training health workers to identify and treat the disease helping to reduce the number of children who die unnecessarily.

5. Providing equipment for child health clinics

Over 2500 children will benefit from new equipment provided by funding from the StratREAL Foundation. The equipment will help doctors to correctly diagnose conditions and provide the correct treatment.