“Before ISIL, the health center was old and the equipment outdated. Therefore, it did not have the ability and space to serve all the residents in the area. To top it, during ISIL, the structure was left damaged. This called for the center to be rebuilt and upgraded at the same time,” says Abd Hussain Ali Suleiman. The 51-year-old works as the Director of Abo Aljear Sub Public Health Centre in Al-Wafaa, Ramadi.

The health center, situated on the outskirts of Ramadi, was left severely damaged during the ISIL occupation. It forced residents to travel far to reach the nearest health care facility.

However, the situation is different today. “The health center is now fully rebuilt and operational. I am proud to see that basic health services are accessible to the residents. The doors are now open,” says Hussain.

The facility's rehabilitation was implemented through UNDP Iraq’s Funding Facility for Stabilization with funding from United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It has now reopened its doors to over 5,000 people living in and around the area.

“We recently had the case of a woman who was in labor, and we had little time to take her to the main hospital. They brought her to this health center. We administered her delivery successfully with the help of a midwife. This was possible thanks to the support we received to get the center back up and running,” adds Hussain.

"I am proud to see that the center provides services such as prevention of infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, maternity care, vaccinations and community awareness programs. Half of these services were not easily accessible to the residents before,” shares Hussain. Today, the center receives over 30 patients daily. It also has the ability to collect and process COVID-19 tests.

On Hussain’s vision for the health center, he says, “One day, I hope to transform this sub-center into a main center. We will then be better equipped to handle complex surgeries and health emergencies. Our sole responsibility at the center is to put the needs of our citizens first.”

About the programme:

This project was implemented through UNDP’s flagship programme, the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS), with generous support from USAID. Since its inception in 2015, FFS has worked with the Government of Iraq and local actors to ensure safe, dignified, and voluntary returns and to lay the foundation for the successful reintegration of displaced populations into the community.

Its 29 funding partners have contributed $1.46 billion to the programme, which has completed 2,944 projects in five governorates liberated from ISIL, improving the lives of more than 14.6 million Iraqis. Read more here.