When: May 10 - 24, 2013

Where: K*bul, Afgh*nistan

Who: Physicians, NPs, PAs, Dentists, Nurses (positions filled), Pharmacists, Physical Therapists, Logistics (non-medical helpers) 1 - 2 Pastors (to take an active part in the Spiritual aspect of the team and work with the National Partners/Spiritual Counseling), Urgent Need for Female Physicians and Dentists

 Status: Accepting Applications

Special Travel Announcement: Unless you are instructed by GHO or your team leader, do not book your own travel. Please email ghotravel@cmda.org prior to the ticket purchase if you want to use frequent flyer miles and/or want your number added to the ticket.

Project Fee:  $1,795 plus airfare and $15 per hour for up to 14 hours CME/CDE (if applicable)  Click here for more information on CME/CDE

Team Leader: Don Thompson, MD, MPH&TM 

To read Dr. Thompson's Biography Click here.

Trip Details: Shattered by 22 years of USSR occupation, civil war, T*liban misrule and the US-led invasion in 2001 – Afg*anistan is a country rebuilding from being bombed and mined; loosing half the housing, most of the complex irrigation systems and a high proportion of the livestock. Millions of people were displaced in their own country.  The entire country lacked infrastructure and lost of all institutions including governmental agencies, schools and universities, police, transportation,  and a healthcare system.  Rebuilding the country is slowed by the lack of funds, lawlessness, and factionalism.

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The character of the A*ghan people is exemplified by a sense of pride, bravery, hospitality, generosity and loyalty.  When invited to an Afg*han home, a guest is treated with the utmost respect and honor.  Afgh*ns will share whatever they have with a friend.

Our national partners, S*ZO International,  have a wholistic outreach to empower the most disadvantaged individuals and communities by coordinating and implementing transformational development through healthcare, education, and economic initiatives.

This will be the sixth year our GHO teams have gone to A*ghanistan.  Many of the NGOs that were in Afgh*nistan five years ago have left in spite of the great need.  Those who continue to serve and care for the least, the lost and the last are welcomed with open arms and will reap the harvest. 

The decades of civil turmoil and war have, most obviously, left a mark on Afg*an women and children:
  •   1 of every 12 mothers die from a complication of childbirth
  •   1 of every 4 children die before they celebrate their 5th birthday
  •   Life expectancy is 42 years – 35 of which are “healthy”
We always have an urgent need in Afgh*nistan for females on our healthcare team - physicians, PAs, NPs, dentists and nurses to supplement the males because if we do not have a good number of ladies on the team, the A*ghan women will not be allowed to come to the clinics and then the children will not come.  A*ghan women culturally need to be treated by ladies for the most part.
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Our past teams in Afgh*nistan have helped in the Cure International Hospital, but most of our current efforts are to provide emergency ongoing relief and healthcare for the internally displaced people as we come alongside our national partners in their great work.  Helping and encouraging the communities like Istalif to heal itself and see them assume responsibility through wholistic transformational development primarily through healthcare initiatives has been a real blessing.  IDPs are refugees in their own country and we have had great joy in being able to help the people in Sh*ka D*ra and Bar*k Aub as SO*O moves forward with permanent housing, education, and economic initiative in partnership with these communities.  This year we are looking forward to setting up some clinics for the people over the mountain from B*rek A*b the nomadic Kuchi people who walked many miles over the mountains to visit our clinics last year.

Please join me as we serve the least, the lost and the last for the glory of God.

Vaccination Information: Wondering what immunizations you’ll need for the mission trip? Please refer to the Centers for Disease Control website.