Tarz Press: With the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the country’s health system crisis, like other crises, has reached alarming levels, endangering the lives of citizens, especially women and children. International reports indicate that the health crisis in Afghanistan has not only worsened but has become more severe due to restrictions imposed by the Taliban, particularly in providing services to women and children.
International organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and Amnesty International, have described Afghanistan’s current health system as a “catastrophe.” These organizations warn that the continuation of this situation will result in a severe shortage of female doctors in the future, which will have serious consequences for Afghan women. In its latest review, WHO described Afghanistan’s health system as “unstable” and stressed that cuts to humanitarian budgets and the suspension of international aid have exacerbated the country’s malnutrition and food shortages.
The Taliban have imposed strict restrictions on the provision of healthcare services to women, including requiring a “male guardian” to accompany women when seeking medical care. Maryam, a doctor from Badakhshan province, told Tarz Press that the Taliban have ordered them not to treat any female patients who do not have a guardian or are not fully veiled. In some areas, male doctors are prohibited from treating female patients, and in certain cases, Taliban security forces have beaten male doctors for providing care to women.
Rising Diseases and a Children’s Health Crisis
Alongside the worsening health crisis, the incidence of infectious diseases has risen. UNICEF reports that 62% of patients with infectious diseases in Afghanistan are children under five. Additionally, the UN Children’s Fund reported that 160,000 cases of infectious diseases were registered in January of this year, a 16% increase from the previous year.
Increased Mortality and Reduced Access to Healthcare
Due to inadequate healthcare services and the Taliban’s restrictive policies, maternal and child mortality has risen. The European Union reported that every two hours, an Afghan mother dies. Furthermore, due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of resources in medical centers, cancer patients in regions such as Badakhshan are unable to receive appropriate treatment. The only hospital in this province faces severe shortages of specialists and equipment, which exacerbates treatment difficulties, especially for women.
While the Taliban claim to have expanded access to healthcare services, evidence suggests that clinics are closing, and healthcare services are not being extended to remote areas of Afghanistan. International organizations report that the Taliban are diverting state revenues to military efforts and the expansion of religious schools instead of improving healthcare services.
It appears that the Taliban’s current management policies are insufficient to resolve Afghanistan’s health system crisis, putting the lives of thousands of citizens, particularly women and children, at greater risk. Despite international efforts to assist the Afghan people, the declining access to healthcare and rising mortality rates indicate that the crisis in the country continues to worsen, demanding urgent attention from the international community and humanitarian organizations.
