During the Primary Health Care Project Iraq (PHCPI) closeout conference on March 25, 2015, Iraq's Ministry of Health and USAID celebrated the conclusion of a successful partnership. Minister of Health Dr. Adeelah Hamood Hussein, US Ambassador Stuart Jones, USAID Mission Director Douglas Ball, USAID Senior Regional Advisor Eric Milstrey, and PHCPI Chief of Party Hala Jassim attended the ceremony. In addition, 245 participants attended, among them the Deputy Minister of Health, the Director General of Public Health, and 10 directors-general from different directorates across Iraq.
PHCPI worked closely with the Ministry of Health to improve the quality of primary health care across the country, focusing particularly on improving the quality of maternal, newborn, and child health services. PHCPI assisted the Ministry to put in place key building blocks that strengthened health management systems and supported the delivery of quality primary healthcare services at the community and facility levels. PHCPI has worked to build the capacity of both the Ministry of Health and primary health care clinics to respond to the needs of the Iraqi population and to assist the Ministry achieve its country-level health priorities.