With the increasing restrictions on women’s work in the health sector and the prohibition of their education in medical fields, OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, states that for every 100,000 childbirths, 600 Afghan women lose their lives, a figure that is three times the global average.
OCHA has expressed concern over the high maternal mortality rates during childbirth and stated that the current government’s restrictions on women’s employment in healthcare have limited their access to medical care.
The report notes that on December 2, 2024, the current government announced that all educational institutions for women in the medical field, including vocational training and higher education programs, would be closed. This decree poses a serious threat to the future of public health in the country.
The agency mentioned that female employees in humanitarian organizations are facing even more restrictions, and with the intensification of these limitations, especially in remote areas, more women will be deprived of prenatal and postnatal care, vaccinations, and other vital services.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs emphasized that in addition to the ban on women’s education in medical fields, female health workers face other challenges; increased restrictions on movement, the requirement of a male guardian for work-related travel, and frequent inspections at checkpoints are significant obstacles for women and girls in providing healthcare and accessing health facilities.
Niloufar, a health worker in Afghanistan, is mentioned in the report as someone who sometimes travels to different provinces to provide services to women and girls; however, her journeys are fraught with challenges and restrictions imposed by the current government on women and girls over the past three years.
She noted the increasing restrictions imposed by the current government on women, stating: “Being a woman in Afghanistan is a challenge in itself. Being a woman while pursuing a professional career is even more difficult.”
It is worth mentioning that concerns regarding the rising mortality rates among women and children in Afghanistan have increased in recent months. Afghanistan has had one of the highest maternal mortality rates during childbirth for decades.
