OVERVIEW

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Construction of Health and Education Facilities (CHEF) program supported Afghanistan’s Ministries of Public Health and Education by providing much needed infrastructure in the form of hospitals, midwife training centers, teacher training colleges, and other medical and education facilities in the country. These USAID-funded facilities were developed in close cooperation with the local communities, district and provincial government authorities, as well as the Ministries of Public Health and Education. The facilities designed and constructed under the CHEF program are energy efficient and built in accordance with international building code standards.

ACTIVITIES

• Construction of a state-of-the-art hospital to serve the needs of the local communities in Paktia, Logar, Khost, and Nangarhar provinces was completed by the end of February 2016.
• Construction of a 20-bed hospital in Khair Kote District of Paktika Province.  The project was completed by the end of February 2016.
• Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Training Program:  The 100-bed Gardez and 20-bed Khair Kote hospitals built under the CHEF program are equipped with complicated mechanical and electrical systems that require extensive O&M.  To support the sustainability of these facilities, USAID provided the Ministry of Public Health O&M staff with four-five months of training.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Construction of three midwife training centers in Khost, Bamyan and Badakhshan provinces
• Refurbished the Antany Hospital in Kabul city
• Provided the Ministry of Public Health with designs for a 50-bed hospital in Samangan and a 100-bed hospital in Ghazni provinces
• Renovated Sherzad Girls High School to accommodate 400 girls and 20 teachers
• Renovated Qawchin Health Clinic in Jawzjan
• Constructed four provincial teacher training colleges in Nangarhar, Wardak, Parwan, and Faryab provinces; an estimated 2,400 students will be trained annually at these facilities to qualify for work as new school teachers.
• Construction of a 100-bed hospital in Gardez, Paktia Province and a 20-bed hospital in Khair Kote completed in December 2015.