An insight into the
current state of
health services

Assistance

Family Care has active projects both in Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, often working in partnership with other International organisations by providing specialist expertise in the area of healthcare.

Family Care's head office is in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia but has operative bases within each region being assisted. Key health and technical staff remain resident in the regions and for health assistance programmes , an office is established within the referral hospitals serving the area. This allows Family Care to have detailed insight into the day to day problems of the service which we aim to address.

Family Care is made up of 27 permanent staff, 3 of them long term expatriates working together with 24 local Armenian staff. Together with administrative staff of which there are four, they comprise a technical and health team, the former being made up of engineers and technicians who oversee all structural rehabilitation assistance and the latter who are dedicated to all other health sector support such as hospital management and service delivery, training and community education. In addition to these core staff, Family Care have up to 28 short term health professionals (both local and expatriate) who conduct specialist training.

Five of Family Care staff work in cultural activities and are involved in the Art school and are supported by volunteers. Family Care has linked up to various institutes and organisations in Yerevan and abroad which provide valuable support.

The following illustrates Family Care's main assistance programmes since its founding in 1998:

MATERNAL AND NEWBORN HEALTH CARE
The realisation of successful health assistance in
Nagorno Karabagh. Started in June 1998
Upgrading of central and region wide services.

MOBILE OUTREACH SERVICES AND SUPORT
TO REGION WIDE 'FAMILY HEALTH CARE'
and continued support to maternal/child health care.
Nagorno Karabagh. Started in March 2001, ongoing.

UPGRADING OF REGIONAL MATERNAL
AND CHILD HEALTH CARE SERVICES
Maralik Project. Eastern Border of Armenia.
Started in December 2001, ongoing.

VERATSNUND ART SCHOOL
Spitak Northern Armenia. Earthquake Zone
Providing creative activities for children and
adolescents and skills training in textiles for women.

Other assistance given by Family Care have included:

- Building of a training centre for health for Southern Armenia, officially opened by the Minister of Health in February 1999. This continues to be used by the local health authorities and other international NGO's for training purposes although Family Care's inputs are now over

- Support to community fruit drying enterprise (2201)

- Support to Family based bee keeping and honey marketing Ongoing in Lori region.

Family Care Donors:
United States Administration for International Development /USAID (US Government)
Italian Government
UNICEF
Council of Churches, Alnwick, UK (Art School).
The Appleby Trust, UK (Art school).
Private donations

Family Care Partners:
United Nations Development Project (UNDP)
Catholic Relief Services, US.
Save the Children, US.
Armenian American Health Alliance of Greater Washington