Islamic Relief UK USA Germany Belgium Netherlands Italy Switzerland Turkey Sweden Malaysia South Africa Canada Australia Arabic
IRW
Islamic Relief

Neelam Valley Health Project
Location: Neelum Valley, Pakistan-admininstered Kashmir
Number of Beneficiaries: 43,000 people from 25 different communities
Start Year: 2001
Status: Ongoing



Print This Page

Email this page to a friend



Project Overview

The people of Neelum Valley have suffered from over 40 years of tension and conflict between India and Pakistan. Ongoing artillery, mortar and gun fire across the border has resulted in thousands of deaths and horrific injuries amongst civilians.

The Neelum Valley Health Programme aims to provide potentially life-saving basic health services to communities across Neelum Valley.

It is part of Islamic Relief's Neelum Valley Integrated Development Programme (NVIDP).

Project Background

Neelum Valley is one of the poorest areas of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The security situation has had a drastic effect on livelihoods, contributing to severe levels of poverty.

There are problems accessing even basic facilities such as clean water, healthcare and education. It is an area generally neglected by NGOs and the government because of its inaccessibility.

Project Objectives

The programme aims to improve access to basic healthcare for approximately 43,000 people in Neelum Valley.

It will focus on providing much-needed access to a community health centre as well as services provided by Community Health Workers (CHWs), working directly within their own communities.

Health care facilities are virtually non-existent in Neelum Valley. Many doctors are unwilling to stay in such difficult locations on low wages and with poor facilities. Assessments have identified the following problems:

  • No 'Mother and Child' heath care facilities and a shortage of female doctors.

  • No health care facilities at all for 25,000 people living in between Athmuqam and Dawarian. These people are confined due to cross-border firing. Inadequate health facilities for 18,000 population in union council Shahkot and Athmuqam town.

  • Lack of immediate facilities, and no patient referrals system for secondary and tertiary health care.

  • Lack of available and affordable medicines.

  • No evacuation facility for patients

Project Activities

  • Mobilise local community organisations to help improve knowledge of health issues amongst the communities.

  • Set up a health care facility in Kuttan capable of carrying out minor operations. Three doctors will be based here, with at least one female doctor. Patients requiring secondary and tertiary treatment will be taken to hospitals in Muzaffarabad and Islamabad by ambulances based in Kuttan.

  • Train 50 Community Health Workers (CHW) who will then provide basic support to the communities.



How Islamic Relief Helps

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

  1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
  2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
  3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
  4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
  5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
  6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

  1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
  2. Achieve universal primary education
  3. Promote gender equality and empower women
  4. Reduce child mortality
  5. Improve maternal health
  6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
  7. Ensure environmental sustainability
  8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Islamic Relief