USAID Empowers Young Female Medical Technicians

Press Release Shim

Speeches Shim

For Immediate Release

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Kabul, Afghanistan – Thirteen young women are among the first to graduate from USAID Promote: Women in the Economy’s (WIE) Forward Together Scholarship Doppler Ultrasound course. Held at the Ariana Hospital, the subsidized course gave participants the skills needed to operate an advanced ultrasound machine, which uses color imaging to diagnose a wide variety of health issues, including heart diseases or healthy or complicated pregnancies.

“There is a strong need for qualified technicians in the Afghan medical sector that can deliver high quality diagnostic services. Having more qualified females will increase access to much needed medical services for all Afghan women”, said Susan Decamp, USAID Gender Office Director.

This year alone, nearly 100 young women in Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, and Mazar-e-Sharif have enrolled in, or have graduated from ultrasonography, CT scan, and other medical technology courses through WIE’s Forward Together Scholarship program. WIE also coaches its graduates to find jobs or residency programs in clinics and hospitals. Since the start of the WIE program in 2015, 880 beneficiaries have either completed internships in the healthcare sector or have full-time jobs in 200 medical facilities in 30 provinces.

“Today, we congratulate these young women. Our country needs more qualified women medical technicians”, said Dr. Abdul Wahid Sidiqi, the owner of Ariana Hospital. “They can now provide valuable medical services to our patients.

With almost $17 billion spent on development programs in Afghanistan since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID partners with the government and people of Afghanistan to ensure economic growth led by the country’s private sector, to establish a democratic and capable state governed by the rule of law, and to provide basic health and education services for all Afghans.