Afghan women and children's health: Three main challenges under Taliban and COVID-19

Addressing immediate public health needs as part of Afghan evacuees' resettlement to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

Since the removal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2021, the United States welcomed Afghan evacuees through Operation Allies Welcome. Using cell phone accessibility, the CDC Foundation worked with public-private partners to protect evacuees from the spread of COVID-19 and provide accessibility to resources.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a mixed methods study.

METHODS

The CDC Foundation activated its Emergency Response Fund to accelerate public health components of Operation Allies Welcome, including testing, vaccination, and COVID-19 mitigation and prevention. The CDC Foundation began the provision of cell phones to evacuees to ensure access to public health and resettlement resources.

RESULTS

The provision of cell phones provided connections between individuals and access to public health resources. Cell phones provided means to supplement in-person health education sessions, capture and store medical records, maintain official resettlement documents, and assist in registration for state-administered benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

Phones provided necessary connectivity to friends and family for displaced Afghan evacuees and higher accessibility to public health and resettlement resources. As many evacuees did not have access to US-based phone services upon entry, provision of cell phones and plans for a fixed amount of service time provided a helpful start in resettlement while also being a mechanism to easily share resources. Such connectivity solutions helped to minimize disparities among Afghan evacuees seeking asylum in the United States. Provision of cell phones by public health or governmental agencies can help to provide equitable resources to evacuees entering the United States for social connection, healthcare resources, and resources to assist in the process of resettlement. Further research is needed to understand the generalizability of these findings to other displaced populations.

And Still She Rises: Policies for Improving Women's Health for a More Equitable Post-Pandemic World

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned crises of violence, hunger and impoverishment. Maternal and Infant Health Canada (MIHCan) conducted this policy action study to explore how changes that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic may catalyze potential improvements in global women's health toward the creation of a more equitable post-pandemic world. In this mixed methods study, 280 experts in women's health responded to our survey and 65 subsequently participated in focus groups, including professionals from India, Egypt/Sudan, Canada and the United States/Mexico. From the results of this study, our recommendations include augmenting mental health through more open dialogue, valuing and compensating those working on the frontlines through living wages, paid sick leave and enhanced benefits and expanding digital technology that facilitates flexible work locations, thereby freeing time for improving the wellbeing of caregivers and families and offering telemedicine and telecounseling, which delivers greater access to care. We also recommend bridging the digital divide through the widespread provision of reliable and affordable internet services and digital literacy training. These policy recommendations for employers, governments and health authorities aim to improve mental and physical wellbeing and working conditions, while leveraging the potential of digital technology for healthcare provision for those who identify as women, knowing that others will benefit. MIHCan took action on the recommendation to improve mental health through open conversation by facilitating campaigns in all study regions. Despite the devastation of the pandemic on global women's health, implementing these changes could yield improvements for years to come.