A boost for health training in MarebNew female student dorm [Archives:2004/706/Local News]

A new dormitory for female students at the Health Institute in Mareb was opened last Thursday.
With this inauguration, the Governorate of Mareb now has its own Health Institute, where also students of nursing and midwifery can be trained.
Health experts believe that this indicates that the government has recognized the importance of enabling all governorates to look after themselves and to make female staff available for the health services.
Women and children under 5 years of age constitute about 70% of the Yemeni population. In regions with strong traditions, this population group can only be reached by health services if the peripheral health facilities have female staff.
Only women from the communities in Mareb will be ready and able to work in remote areas of the Governorate and only if the training facility is under their eyes, families in Mareb will allow their daughters to be trained for modern professions.
Therefore the event means a breakthrough for the Mareb in many regards.
The construction was financed and guided by the German Development Cooperation for Health. Involving a local firm and local daily manpower was part of the strategy to contribute also to economic development in disadvantaged regions.
The building with 3 floors was completed in 12 months and with a high standard of finishing. The opening ceremony was attended among others by the Deputy Governor, the General Director of Health in Mareb, the Deputy of the German Ambassador, the Directors of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the German Development Service (DED), as well as the managers of the Family Health&Family Planning and Health Sector Advisory Projects of GTZ.
The German Development Cooperation supports the health sector in Mareb Governorate since 1998. The Governorate was jointly selected by the Ministry of Health and the German partners because health services seemed to reach not even 20% of the population, and also because development in the social sector would help to reduce the danger of conflicts in Mareb.
In order to contribute to the achievement of the second objective and assure equity, from the very beginning support was given to all 14 districts of the governorate. The focus of the assistance is on improving family health/family planning as well as curative services and on establishing a solid district health management system.
At the same time capacity building in the Governorate Health Office is supported.
With regard to systematic management and cooperation between sectors and official local authorities the governorate started at zero 5 years ago.
The German side confirms that progress is satisfying, that for example the health centre in Mareb Town has developed to be one of the best ones in all the 10 governorates supported by the German Cooperation, that the technical cooperation with the Health Office and especially its Director General is good, and that they feel strongly supported by the very active Governor.
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