ATRA’s Broadband Connectivity Project to Local Government Offices, and Hospitals in Rural Afghanistan intended to provide connectivity to government offices and hospitals in the remotest areas of Afghanistan. The aim of the project was to address the digital divide and to equip the public service (i.e., health, education, public administration etc.) providers to connect with the Internet, learn from the experiences of others and provide better services to their citizens. The objectives of the project were: a) to deliver health services to the most vulnerable categories of the citizens, b) to connect local health workers with the health centers in Kabul (capital), and c) to enhance coordination and collaboration between local and central government organizations. In close collaboration with sectoral institutions the project utilized ICT enabled resources to establish a system that will facilitate and enhance the delivery of health and other public services through local structures. This project also identified other areas of ICT program interventions supported by Telecom Development Fund (TDF). This project has been one of the important projects funded by TDF with particular attention to accessibility during the pandemic.

http://atra.gov.af/en/page/6981/7060

• Afghanistan

• The poor
• Remote and rural communities
• The primary beneficiaries of the project are: Civil Servants, Local Administration, Healthcare and other Service Providers at the district level. The secondary beneficiaries include: Local communities, patients, information societies, and villagers.

Afghanistan has 364 provincial districts that need sustainable development initiatives including connectivity and access to ICT, Internet and broadband services. ATRA aims to replicate this project to other provincial districts in the near future so that we can further contribute to achieving SDGs and WSIS relevant Action Lines. Lessons learnt and the results achieved from this project will help all stakeholders to enhance their contribution in the program thereby addressing the SDGs nationally.

ATRA incorporated sustainability of the outputs and services of this project in the MOU signed with the partner governmental institutions, which run, own, operate and serve the communities at the sub-national level, (Ministry of Public Health, Independent Directorate of Local Government, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock etc.). ATRA is committed to continue providing Internet bandwidth and training for local beneficiaries through this project. The maintenance responsibility of the ICT tools will be conducted by owner organizations i.e., local government institutions. Local communities will benefit from such initiatives as well as using the broadband connectivity for their commercial and civil activities.

This project has connected provincial districts and villages, health centers and hospitals, local and central government departments with ICTs, encouraged the development of local content for e-education, capacity building, and health care, and ensured that rural populations have access to ICTs and information during the Covid-19 and after.