USAID/PHCPI KRG Fact Sheet – March 2014

The project is designed to support the Iraqi Ministry of Health in achieving its strategic goal of providing better quality primary health care services. Key interventions target 298 primary health care centers throughout Iraq's 18 governorates, including 58 clinics in the northern region of Kurdistan. Implementation of the project has focused on several key areas. One major achievement has been the upgrade and graduation of model clinics. Among the project's target clinics, 36 clinics were selected to be upgraded to the standard of "model clinics." The project has provided equipment and technical assistance to six clinics in the Kurdistan Region to help them meet the model standard. Additionally, the project has developed and the Ministry of Health has approved the model clinic criteria, a set of 85 standards that need to be met for a clinic to be considered a "model clinic." The project has also promoted healthy behaviors through community partnerships and behavior change communication. In July 2013, the project, in collaboration with the Kurdistan Ministry of Health, held the first national conference in Kurdistan on Health Promotion. The conference focused on strengthening community partnerships and implementing BCC activities. USAID/PHCPI's BCC activities are further strengthened by the work of Local Health Committees working within the catchment areas of each of the project's target clinics. Building the capacity of health care workers to deliver high-quality services is another key area of focus for the project. USAID/PHCPI has worked with the Ministry of Health to introduce or revise clinical care guidelines and management processes in accordance with international standards and best practices. These guidelines, handbooks, and associated training curricula have been translated into Kurdish to facilitate training and use by PHC staff in Kurdistan. Through December 2013, approximately 2,866 PHC staff from Kurdistan have been engaged in USAID/PHCPI-led training and capacity-building activities. The project has made significant progress in upgrading clinics and promoting healthy behaviors, with notable achievements in the Kurdistan Region. The Ibrahaim Ahmed Model Clinic in Sulaymaniyah became one of the first clinics to graduate to the model standard in March 2014. The project's efforts have been further strengthened by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between USAID and the Kurdistan Regional Government in September 2012, outlining their common commitment to improve Iraq's health care system through a collaborative working relationship and project co-financing.