Dear [[FirstName]],

In March 2003, IMC deployed teams to Iraq to help vulnerable communities afflicted by decades of sanctions and war. Since then, IMC has distinguished itself by assisting Iraqis in crisis, venturing into areas where the needs are great due to violence and the repercussions of displacement. IMC’s strategy in Iraq is to launch sustainable, long-term initiatives at the community level, while simultaneously establishing an effective framework to buttress local capacity.

In addition to IMC’s life-saving activities, we are implementing programs that mobilize communities. By supporting citizens’ participation in local decision-making, we are building Iraqis’ self-confidence and creating a foundation for durable positive change. In partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH), IMC is improving primary health care and emergency medicine, as well as supporting the professional development of health care workers.

Since last year, IMC has also been assisting the MOH in its efforts to treat severe burns, which have become a tragically common injury in Iraq. Countless Iraqis are wounded by explosive devices every day, yet Iraq is lacking the kind of sophisticated facilities and medical expertise needed to treat these burns. Burn victims have historically been treated in emergency rooms, which are not properly equipped to treat such wounds.

In this issue you’ll read about an innovative program to teach state-of-the-art burn treatment techniques to a group of 24 Iraqi doctors. The program was a tremendous success. Not only did it restore a young woman’s leg; it provided a dedicated group of Iraqi health professionals with the tools to replicate this kind of success.

With your support, we can continue to do groundbreaking work in Iraq—going where other organizations dare not go, to help Iraqis in crisis, and to bolster their dreams of a brighter future.

Sincerely,

Agron Ferrati
IMC Country Director, Iraq

Empowering Afghan Women to Save Mothers and Children
Infant mortality is Afghanistan’s biggest health challenge; the neonatal mortality rate in Afghanistan is 12 times higher than in the U.S. To help reverse the trend, IMC is teaching mothers and housewives to provide antenatal care and safe, clean deliveries to fellow community members. Read more

A Day in the Life of an IMC Field Worker
It’s people like Elizabeth Apopo who make it possible for IMC to transform ordinary citizens into skilled health care providers. As a trainer in South Sudan, Elizabeth provides guidance to dozens of community health workers to ensure that they have clean water sources, adequate medications, and a solid understanding of how to do basic diagnoses. Read more

World-Class Burn Surgeon Helps Reconstruct Iraq
Every day, countless Iraqis are severely burned by explosives. In August, IMC brought a gifted plastic surgeon from Los Angeles to Iraq to teach doctors how to treat the survivors of these traumatic injuries using the world’s most sophisticated burn surgery techniques. Read more