Learning about Indian Culture and Human Services International’s efforts to improve health care in Afghanistan drew about 125 people to the Memorial Union Tuesday night.

Mary Sigmann, program coordinator for HSI, said the organization dreams of seeing the eradication of disease.

“This is literally the vehicle for that dream,” she said.

HSI aims to send two fully functioning American Mobile Hospital units to Afghanistan before the end of 2003, where they will provide basic health care and education in remote communities.

The dinner and cultural event was held to educate people about health conditions in Afghanistan, as well as to begin fundraising.

“Our current focus is Afghan men, women and children,” said Royce Bitzer, HSI board member and post doctorate in entomology.

“People in some areas [of Afghanistan] have had to eat grass to survive. Eighty-eight percent of people have no clean water. You know what ground zero looks like … well, probably half of Kabul looks that way, thanks to 22 years of civil war.”

Bitzer said the leading cause of death for Afghan women is childbirth.

“Most women deliver their babies at home,” he said. “One out of every three women who have children perish from pregnancy complications.”

Bitzer said statistics show one in four children in Afghanistan die of easily treatable illness, such as diarrhea or respiratory infection.

A national vaccination program took place in Afghanistan from January through October of this year. Measles vaccinations were transported to remote areas of Afghanistan on a Khar-Cruiser — a donkey.

Shafi Shaafi, president of Human Services International, worked in a medical hospital when she was in India and decided it was time to take the hospital to the people.

“[This is the] most important time in human history because of the advancements in biomedicine and science, but children still die every day of easily treatable diseases.

“If we don’t address this problem, we will be ignoring these people,” Shaafi said.

Dr. Steven Gleason, director of the Iowa Department of Health, said international disease is not something confined by borders.

“If there’s been a need for world understanding at any time since I’ve been alive, it’s now,” he said.

Remarks about the mobile hospital program were followed by a cultural program that highlighted Indian dance and international fashion. The classical Indian dances Pushpanjali and Mallari were performed.

ISU international students presented traditional clothing from Nepal, India, West Africa, Bangladesh, Venezuela and Mexico.

Beta Theta Pi Fraternity Inc. and Alpha Chi Omega Sorority Inc. helped publicize the event by selling tickets at various fraternity and sorority houses on campus.

They also helped serve the dinner.

“We rounded up 30 guys and had them put in about two hours each,” said Paul Fisher, junior in management information systems and member of Beta Theta Pi. “We’re donating some money from the house, but basically, they’re looking for people with deeper pockets than us.

We’re just the hired help.”