The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has recently announced that improving practical and effective access to health services for women and girls is key to reducing maternal and child mortality in Afghanistan.
In a post published on its X (formerly Twitter) account, the organization stated that every year a large number of women in Afghanistan lose their lives due to the lack of adequate healthcare facilities, even though many of these deaths are preventable.
UN-Habitat also emphasized in part of its message that, with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), it is renovating the “Jannat Gul Khan” health center in eastern Kabul to increase women’s and families’ access to preventive and curative healthcare services.
It is worth noting that Afghanistan’s healthcare system has depended on foreign aid for decades.
The lack of medical specialists—especially in women’s health—the absence of health centers in remote and conflict-affected areas are cited as some of the main factors contributing to maternal deaths during childbirth in Afghanistan.
Following the return of the caretaker government and the closure of schools and universities to girls, concerns have increased over the shortage of medical staff across Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, international organizations have repeatedly warned that Afghanistan’s current maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the world and have expressed concern about a further deterioration of the situation.
