KABUL, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health has signed a memorandum of understanding with Save the Children International to strengthen healthcare delivery across two provinces, the ministry announced in a statement on Wednesday.
Valued at 1,668,876 U.S. dollars, the agreement will extend essential health services to 65,263 residents in southern Kandahar and northern Faryab provinces, according to the statement.
Care will be provided through three health facilities staffed by 50 trained health workers, said the statement, adding that the two-year initiative will be implemented in strict accordance with established standards, with particular emphasis on meeting the specific health needs of local communities.
Afghanistan's health system remains under acute pressure, particularly after reductions in U.S. assistance forced the suspension or scaling-back of services at hundreds of facilities nationwide in the war-affected country. ■
