USAID Achievements in Afghanistan: 2002-2014

In 2002, only 900,000 boys were in school, while virtually no girls attended school. In contrast, by 2014, there were eight million students enrolled in school, with more than a third being girls. USAID assistance has directly benefited one million Afghan students, while millions more primary grade students have benefited from USAID support for new textbooks, teacher training, and educational facilities. USAID has helped thousands of Afghan girls attend community-based education classes by eliminating the need to travel long distances. USAID has also supported the construction or refurbishment of more than 560 schools and multiple teacher-training centers, produced and distributed over 148 million textbooks, and helped train more than 74,000 teachers. This support has enabled the Ministry of Education and public universities to manage the growth in demand for education, boost academic quality, and create new higher education opportunities. According to The Asia Foundation's 2013 Survey of the Afghan People, 72 percent of Afghans are satisfied with the availability of education for children. Afghanistan's healthcare system has also undergone significant transformation since 2002, with USAID assistance playing a crucial role in rebuilding the system. The new system has improved the health and life expectancy of Afghans, with life expectancy increasing from 42 years in 2002 to 64 years in 2012. In 2001, few Afghans had access to trained healthcare providers, while in 2014, 57 percent of Afghans have access to a health facility within a one-hour walk from their home. USAID has built more than 600 health facilities, which serve one million people per month. USAID's decade-long commitment to Afghanistan's health sector has had a tangible impact on the lives of many Afghans, particularly women and children. Since 2002, USAID has trained more than 12,000 community health workers and 2,000 midwives. In 2013, more than 150,000 babies were delivered by skilled birth attendants, a 34 percent increase since 2002, and more than 420,000 pre-birth care visits were attended by skilled providers, a 54 percent increase since 2002. Afghanistan's under-five mortality rate has decreased by 62 percent. Women's participation in Afghan society has also undergone significant transformation since 2002, with USAID assistance playing a crucial role in strengthening women's participation in political life. Under Taliban rule, women were banned from public life, but since 2002, they have made unprecedented strides. In the first round of Afghanistan's 2014 presidential elections, women represented more than 35 percent of voters. USAID assistance has also helped the Afghan Women Judges Association deliver critical training on gender justice and Islamic jurisprudence principles to 142 female judges. The Afghan economy has grown dramatically since 2002, with Gross Domestic Product rising from just over $4 billion in 2002 to more than $20 billion in 2013. USAID supports economic growth by increasing access to credit, facilitating business expansion, increasing market access, and promoting legal and regulatory reforms to attract new investment. USAID-facilitated loans have created more than 100,000 jobs since 2011, and USAID-supported legal and regulatory reforms have contributed to the development of the information communication and telecommunication sector, a $1.81 billion per year industry employing more than 135,000 people. Afghanistan's infrastructure has also undergone significant transformation since 2002, with USAID assistance playing a crucial role in connecting Afghans to electricity, markets, and each other. In 2002, only six percent of Afghans had access to reliable electricity, but today, 29 percent are connected to the electricity grid, including more than two million people in Kabul. USAID has built or rehabilitated more than 2,000 km of roads, including the Ring Road, which connects Afghanistan's urban centers. USAID has also supported Afghan agribusinesses, farmers, and their families, investing in the sector to build the foundation for long-term economic growth and to quickly make a difference in the lives of farming families. USAID-funded programs have disbursed more than $53 million in loans to more than 24,000 farmers and agribusinesses, generating more than $25 million in household income, planting millions of fruit trees, and creating thousands of full-time jobs. USAID rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure has led to increased water availability for more than 100,000 hectares of agricultural land, and has supported improved natural resources management and biodiversity conservation for 3.6 million hectares of land, helping Afghans farm sustainably. USAID has also helped Afghan businessmen and women, especially farmers, connect to regional and international markets. USAID has facilitated the export of goods worth over $60 million, including cashmere, fresh