DUSHANBE, October 2, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Over the past month, the U.S. Embassy through the U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team, the Tajikistan Ministry of Health and Dushanbe Prospect Clinic has conducted Medical Civil Affairs Programs (MEDCAPs) in Jilga, Chubeck, Mentukay and Yol villages that have provided continuing education for local medical practitioners and health care for over 1,200 citizens of rural Tajikistan, press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe said.

The U.S. Department of Defense provided over $40,000 in funding and sent a Civil Affairs Team to Tajikistan in order to provide oversight for the MEDCAPs, which started in early August 2010. With the support of the Prospect Clinic and Garant’s Whole Pharmacy in Dushanbe, the Civil Affairs Team and Tajik Government were able to provided instructional workshops for local providers regarding the identification and treatment of common mosquito, waterborne, and food related illnesses as well as providing medication needed to treat the illnesses.

The MEDCAPs in Shouroobod and Hamandoni districts are some of the many projects carried out by the U.S. Army Civil Affairs team since the Tajikistan Civil Affairs program launched in Dushanbe in May 2008.  The most recent project was the renovation of the Zabdor Agriculture and Water Pump in June 2010.  The Civil Affairs team has also been involved in the renovation of School #10 and Hospital #1, both in Farkhor district, School #23 in Shouroobod District.  These are only a few of the projects which the United States Department of Defense funded during the past year, with a total cost of more than $490,000.

The United States supports the advancement of education and public health care in Tajikistan.