The French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC) held its 10th Annual International Scientific Conference and Quality Convention marking a decade of constant efforts to nurture the culture of scientific inquiry and evidence based knowledge creation in healthcare, FMIC said in a press release on Sunday.

According to FMIC officials, the conference which was held under the theme “Universal Health: Accessibility, Quality and Research in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic”.  brought together medical practitioners, researchers and intellectuals from Afghanistan and other parts of the world.

32 oral presentations and 38 poster presentations were made by healthcare professionals and researchers on-site and virtually. 

In opening remarks, Lee Hilling, Chairman FMIC Board said that FMIC has reached yet another milestone by completing a decade of constant journey while nurturing the culture of evidence based inquiry and critical thinking.

Afghan Minister of Public Health Ahmad Jawad Osmani in his message termed the conference a historic event.

David Martinon, Ambassador of France to Afghanistan at the conference assured that the government of France will continue its support to the people of Afghanistan through different projects including FMIC of which the government of France is one of the partners.  

Ambassador Sheherazade Hirji, AKDN Diplomatic Representative to Afghanistan also reaffirmed the continuous support of AKDN to Afghanistan.

She highlighted the role of AKDN in reconstruction and development of Afghanistan for more than two decades through its various agencies combining economic, social and cultural inputs.

She further added that in an effort to contribute to the reconstruction of organizational and institutional capacities in the Afghan health sector, FMIC has provided specialized tertiary care services for children, mothers, and adults for nearly 14 years.

Eric CHEYSSON, President of La Chaine de L’Espoir (LCDE) and Board Member FMIC in his video message congratulated FMIC team for organizing the conference despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He further added that the support of LCDE and Government of France will always remain with FMIC and the people of Afghanistan.

Tawab Baryali, Chairman Scientific Committee of the conference said:” In the conference, 32 oral presentations were made on a wide range of topics such as COVID-19, quality and patient safety, nursing and midwifery, non-communicable diseases, nutrition, and so on. Poster presentations were also on display and the conference attendees visited the presentation booths with keen interest. The conference proceedings were also shared live through the FMIC Facebook page viewed by more than 1500 users.”

In addition, Aziz Ahmad Jan, Chief Executive Officer, FMIC said that FMIC is proud to complete a decade of organizing yearly conferences which speaks volumes about the dedication and commitment of the team. He also mentioned that FMIC will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2021 which will be yet another landmark for this institution which has risen to many devastating and daunting challenges over the years. Mr Aziz Jan thanked all the individuals who made contribution towards the success of the conference.

French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC) is a non-governmental tertiary teaching hospital established in 2006 as the product of a unique four-way partnership between the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GOIRA) and France (GoF), and two private, international development organizations – La Chaine de l’Espoir (CDE) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) through the Aga Khan University (AKU).