IRD Jordan Hosts DOS Field Visit
Amman, May 8 – IRD Jordan hosted visitors from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM), including Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard. The visit included a tour of the Jordan Ministry of Health’s Amman Comprehensive Health Center, a partner of IRD under the Health Linkages & National Networks (HLNN II) project, funded by BPRM.
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Dr. Basheer Al-Qaseer, the primary health care liaison at MoH, and IRD management provided Richard and other guests with an overview of HLNN, which aims to increase awareness of available health services from the Jordanian government to Iraqi refugee residing in the country. Partnering with 14 Ministry of Health centers, HLNN assists Iraqis to receive services at reduced fees and targets women and youth to receive information and training on maternal, child, and reproductive healthcare, thereby reducing their vulnerability and reliance on parallel health structures and increasing the effectiveness of community-based mechanisms for domestic and gender-based violence mitigation and response. Guests also heard from the Center’s director, Dr. Sae’b Khashman, about the clinic’s capacities, staff trained through HLNN, and the latest statistics on Iraqi and non-Iraqi patients.
The visit not only provided BPRM representatives the opportunity to see firsthand the assistance Iraqi patients receive under HLNN, but also to gain insight into the Iraqi refugee situation in Jordan and the specific needs of this vulnerable community. Richard sat in on a health education session on domestic violence attended by a group of 20 Iraqi beneficiaries. Moderated by an HLNN health education volunteer, the session highlighted the challenges and needs faced by refugees living in Jordan. Guests heard from the Iraqi beneficiaries as they shared their experiences and recommendations on how to improve their quality of life.
The Health Linkages and National Networks program is funded by the US Department of State and managed by IRD. It is scheduled to run from September 2011 through August 2012.
Pictured: Richard (third from right) was accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelly Clements, Staff Assistant Lauren Diekman, Regional Refugee Coordinator Rebecca Fong, and PRM Officer Jack Hijazin.
Filed Under: Health & Hygiene, HIV/AIDS, Refugees, Women & Gender, Middle East & North Africa, Jordan