MdM has been working in Iraq since the 1990s. During its first mission in the country, MdM was providing general and specialized medical services (surgery, training programs for traditional birth attendants). Since then MdM had several programs which included paediatric surgery, contributing to the renewal of techniques and knowledge of surgical, medical and paramedical staff in 1997, emergency medical activities in 2002, building local capacity on basic emergency healthcare services at community level in 2006. From 2009 to 2011, MdM supported an Iraqi NGO in the implementation of a program aimed at improving the skills of midwives and traditional birth attendants in accordance with recognized international standards.
In 2014, with the arrival of ISIL, MdM started to provide immediate healthcare support through curative and preventive care including MHPSS services to IDPs and host communities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I). Later, MdM expanded its support to the most vulnerable IDPs and host communities outside of the KR-I region, in Kirkuk Governorate in July 2015, and in Ninewa Governorate in April 2016. Since 2018, MdM has developed a program where activities are gradually handed over to the MoH.
The mission strategy is to transition from a humanitarian approach to a more development approach and to strengthen the resilience and capacity of the local community affected by the conflict.
The current program focuses on supporting the local health authorities in providing quality PHC services (including MHPSS and GBV response) and continue to strengthen the capacities of local public health authorities in Dohuk, Kirkuk and Ninewa governorates, to provide quality care and respond to health needs of IDPs, returnees and vulnerable host communities.
This includes:
• A combination of direct and complementary services, especially related to general health, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), while contributing to the health system strengthening through capacity building at DOH level
• Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS),
• Gender based violence (GBV) integrated within the PHCC general health services, SRH and MHPSS services
• As a cross cutting approach MdM developed a community health based (CHB) approach to ensure community participation, while empowering individuals.
