Tarz Press: Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan is facing serious public health challenges, particularly affecting women and children. Recently, the European Union’s delegation to Afghanistan expressed concern about the rising maternal mortality rate, stating that one mother dies every two hours due to pregnancy and childbirth-related causes.
According to the delegation’s data, only 10% of women in Afghanistan have access to basic healthcare services, and the country has one of the highest maternal, child, and newborn mortality rates in the world. The EU also pointed to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, accounting for nearly half of the country’s deaths, with women making up half of these victims. Limited financial resources and a shortage of healthcare professionals have further strained Afghanistan’s fragile healthcare system, negatively impacting the quality of services.
In response to the crisis, the EU announced a funding package of €31 million (equivalent to over $33.5 million USD) to improve health conditions in Afghanistan. Of this amount, €16 million will go to the World Health Organization (WHO) and €15 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The aim of this assistance is to enhance health services for communicable diseases and strengthen reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health services.
The EU delegation emphasized the severe lack of primary healthcare services, particularly for women, youth, and residents of underserved areas. Approximately 25% of Afghanistan’s population lives in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Veronica Basco-Wich Poher, EU Chargé d’Affaires to Afghanistan, expressed hope that through ongoing cooperation based on trust, transparency, and inclusivity, they can make a positive impact on the health and well-being of the most vulnerable groups, especially women and children.
In this regard, Dr. Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO representative in Afghanistan, highlighted the importance of providing equitable and inclusive healthcare services, ensuring that both genders, particularly in remote areas, receive the essential care they need. The rising maternal mortality rates come at a time when Afghanistan’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, exacerbated by reduced global aid since the Taliban took control. Taliban interference in humanitarian activities and the issuance of numerous directives have reduced assistance and raised concerns about the potential misuse of these resources.
According to WHO, 310 health facilities, including hospitals, are facing reduced services and lack of support. The organization warned that if the funding shortage continues, 7.6 million people in Afghanistan will lose access to essential and life-saving health services. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also reported that the Taliban have issued around 400 directives negatively impacting aid distribution, 71 of which specifically restrict women’s participation in humanitarian assistance.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also expressed concern about the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan, reporting unprecedented levels of malnutrition among children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers between May and September 2024. Current reports indicate that 3.2 million children under the age of five and 840,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women suffer from acute malnutrition, putting them at risk of premature death and lifelong complications.
