ISLAMABAD - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday distributed assistive devices among old dis­abled Afghan refugees with the support of the Bureau of Popula­tion, Refugees and Migration, on behalf of the American people.

The ceremony was held at Pan­ian refugees camp, and attended by U.S. senior State diplomats, US Embassy in Pakistan, Commis­sionerate for Afghan Refugees and partner organizations (Help Age International and IMC-UK) and a large number of beneficiaries from the refugee camp in Panian. State­ment re­lased said that the first of its kind, PROD project was launched in September 2018 and has been implemented in the three districts each in KP and Balochistan prov­inces directly benefitting 4,771 old Afghan refugees with disabilities, chronic diseases, psychosocial dis­orders, and survivors of gender-based violence.

Dr Jamal Nasher, on behalf of the WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Pakistan, distributed as­sistive devices among older Afghan refugees with disabilities. More than the targeted number of ben­eficiaries have been delivered age and disability friendly healthcare services. More than 290 healthcare providers have received training on psychosocial counseling, primary eye care, skin infections, physio­therapy, noncommunicable dis­eases, mental health, health system response to gender-based violence including clinical management, psycho-social support and refer­rals to survivors and care of car­ers. Seven healthcare facilities (one in each of the focus villages) have been renovated to make them age and disability friendly.