Iraq

Snapshot*
Population –28 million
Internally displaced persons – 2.4 million
Refugees – 15,000 (Palestine), 11,700 (Iran), 16,800 (Turkey)
Life expectancy –70 years old
Median age – 20 years old
Infant mortality rate – 45.4 deaths for every 1,000 live births
Fertility rate – 4 children per woman
HIV/AIDS rate – Less than .1%
Literacy rate –74 percent

Life in Iraq
After overthrowing its monarchy in 1958, Iraq emerged from a coup 10 years later to become one of the centers of Arab nationalism under the Baath party. In 1976, Saddam Hussein rose to his presidency. While its vast oil reserves bring wealth, its wars with Iran (1980-1988), the first Gulf War (1991), and international trade sanctions have devastated its economy. By the time Saddam fell from power in 2003, most Iraqis were living in deep poverty and ethnic tensions were on the rise. Despite its first multi-party election in 2004, the new Iraqi government faces the critical challenge of restoring its shaky security.

Helping Communities Help Themselves
Bringing Relief
Since 2003, International Medical Corps (IMC) has worked closely with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Migration, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and the Iraqi community to address the needs of the internally displaced and other vulnerable populations. With operations nationwide, IMC is a committed partner in Iraq, implementing a variety of projects that aim to build the capacity of the government while concurrently providing direct services to Iraqis. IMC’s activities in Iraq include:

• Continuing medical education/Continuing professional development
• Emergency medical care development
• Primary health care
• Secondary health care, including surgery
• Maternal and child care
• Mental health and psychosocial support
• Economic livelihoods training

While most of its projects are focused on long-term development, International Medical Corps provides emergency assistance in areas in need of immediate aid. For example, IMC replenished the dwindling food and water supplies of Baghdad’s Al-Sadr City when violence forced shops to close and residents to stay indoors.

Enabling Self-Reliance
International Medical Corps works in close collaboration with government officials at the local, regional, and national levels to ensure that Iraq’s emergent health care infrastructure is able to effectively respond to the health needs of Iraqis. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, IMC implements several key initiatives that:

• Support the continuing medical education and continuing professional development of Iraqi health professionals through telemedicine, distance learning, and face-to-face training on a variety of medical specialties including mental health, obstetrics, and emergency medicine
• Build the capacity of the country’s pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency medical care systems through advocacy, technical assistance, and policy development
• Train health care workers to provide primary health care and maternal and child health services through IMC-supported health posts, mobile clinics, and health centers
• Mobilize community health workers to educate their peers on basic health issues, including preventable diseases, nutrition, and safe motherhood

To further support for healthy childhood development, International Medical Corps trains orphanage managers on effective management practices so that some of the thousands of children orphaned by war are provided with the foundation needed to become contributing members of their communities.

In its livelihood initiatives, International Medical Corps educates Iraqis in a trade and provides them with the tools they need to generate profit. IMC helps to create small and medium-sized enterprises and educates the managers on basic management, bookkeeping, and market research.

You Can Help Build Change That Lasts
With the future of Iraq and its security uncertain, International Medical Corps is working to infuse the Iraqi people with the knowledge and skills they need to defend their lives and become self-reliant. Your support will help International Medical Corps provide the support and training that will fortify Iraqis to help themselves as their country evolves. Click here to help Iraq and other IMC programs worldwide.

*Statistics from U.S. Government