The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate, already among the world’s highest, is worsening as health facilities close and restrictions on women’s education deplete the ranks of trained midwives and doctors, the Afghanistan Analysts Network reported.
The watchdog said the U.S. decision to cut aid earlier this
year forced the closure of more than 400 health centers, leaving pregnant women
at greater risk. Midwives and doctors in several provinces told AAN they
believe maternal deaths are rising, though reliable nationwide data is scarce.
A government health official, speaking to AAN on condition
of anonymity, said a survey on maternal mortality was left unfinished after
U.S. funding stopped. The World Health Organization’s deputy representative in
Afghanistan recently estimated the rate at 620 deaths per 100,000 live births,
compared with 521 in 2023.
AAN cited accounts from families and health workers
describing preventable deaths during childbirth, including a June case in
Helmand province where a woman died of blood loss after delayed treatment.
Health professionals in Takhar, Jawzjan and Samangan provinces said shortages
of medicine, trained staff and transport are contributing to more fatalities.
The United Nations Population Fund has warned that closures
triggered by the end of U.S. support could result in 1,200 additional maternal
deaths between 2025 and 2028.
