U.S. Special Forces medics in Afghanistan look to partner with NGOs on rural health.

TLDR: Since the medics often blend in with the culture, the missions could hold appeal for civilian aid agencies, contractors or NGOs to partner and help make more sustainable inroads on rural health in Afghanistan.

Abstract: They often grow beards and don the local attire to fit in, in contrast to larger conventional forces that mostly operate in the country¿s urban centers. In a recent discussion convened by the International Health Division within the Department of Defense Force Health Protection & Readiness (FHP&R) offices in Falls Church, Va., some SF medics who had just redeployed from Afghanistan and several DoD, U.S. government interagency, and international health policy leaders broached the idea of having a development or nongovernmental organization (NGO) specialist accompany the medics on some of their medical outreach missions to aid the local population. Since the medics often blend in with the culture, the missions could hold appeal for civilian aid agencies, contractors or NGOs to partner and help make more sustainable inroads on rural health in Afghanistan.