The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that Afghanistan’s maternal healthcare system is facing mounting pressure as humanitarian needs continue to grow, leaving millions of women and girls at risk of losing access to essential health services.

In its Afghanistan Humanitarian Update for June 2026, OCHA said more than 10.7 million women and girls are expected to require humanitarian assistance this year, making them among the populations most severely affected by the country’s prolonged humanitarian crisis.

The agency said ongoing restrictions affecting women’s movement, education and employment, coupled with economic hardship and declining humanitarian funding, have significantly reduced access to healthcare and other essential services while increasing protection risks and deepening vulnerabilities.

According to OCHA, Afghanistan continues to have one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. The agency estimated that the country recorded 638 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2024 — the highest rate in Asia and the seventh highest globally.

OCHA said the situation has been exacerbated by shortages of female healthcare workers, inadequate funding, limited supplies of essential medicines and gaps in emergency obstetric and neonatal care. These challenges are contributing to preventable deaths among mothers and newborns, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities where access to medical facilities remains limited.

The UN agency also warned of the long-term impact of restrictions on girls’ education, saying they threaten the future of Afghanistan’s healthcare workforce. Citing UNICEF estimates, OCHA said the country could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and health professionals by 2030 if current restrictions remain in place, potentially worsening shortages of female doctors, nurses and midwives.

During a recent assessment mission to Bamyan Province, OCHA highlighted the growing burden on local health facilities. Bamyan Provincial Hospital, the province’s main referral centre, continues to provide critical maternal and newborn services and houses the area’s only neonatal intensive care unit. However, the hospital is struggling to meet increasing demand with limited resources.

The agency said many expectant mothers arrive only after developing serious pregnancy-related complications because of long travel distances, poor road infrastructure and a lack of reliable referral services, reducing the chances of timely treatment.

OCHA called for sustained international support to strengthen Afghanistan’s fragile health system, warning that continued investment in maternal and newborn healthcare will be essential to reducing preventable deaths and ensuring that women, particularly those in remote areas, can access life-saving medical services.

Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has held talks with officials from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as well as representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF on expanding routine immunization and strengthening primary healthcare services across the country, the Ministry of Public Health said on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the meeting focused on improving access to primary healthcare, increasing routine vaccination coverage and reviewing Gavi’s continued support for Afghanistan’s health sector.

Jalali said combating vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and polio, remains one of the ministry’s top priorities. He added that efforts are also underway to expand preventive healthcare services and improve access to essential medical care, particularly in underserved communities.

The minister said Afghanistan’s National Vaccination Strategy and National Health Strategy are in the final stages of preparation and will soon be shared with relevant stakeholders to support coordinated implementation.

Routine immunization remains a critical challenge in Afghanistan, where years of conflict, economic hardship and limited access to healthcare have left millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseases. International organizations continue to support vaccination campaigns and efforts to strengthen the country’s fragile health system.

According to the ministry, Gavi officials reaffirmed that Afghanistan remains one of the alliance’s priority countries and pledged to continue supporting immunization programmes and broader health initiatives aimed at protecting the country’s most vulnerable populations.

Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called for closer international cooperation to strengthen the country’s healthcare system, stressing that health and humanitarian assistance should remain separate from political considerations.

During a meeting with Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and her delegation, Muttaqi discussed ways to improve Afghanistan’s health sector and accelerate efforts to eradicate polio, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Balkhy reaffirmed the WHO’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s healthcare system and appealed for the continued cooperation of the Islamic Emirate in implementing nationwide polio vaccination campaigns.

Muttaqi reiterated his support for polio eradication initiatives and highlighted the need to establish advanced cancer diagnosis and treatment centres, improve medical equipment in health facilities, and strengthen the skills of healthcare professionals.

He also emphasized that health, humanitarian and trade cooperation should not be influenced by political issues, saying that keeping these sectors separate is essential to ensuring aid and critical health services reach the Afghan people.