UN raises concerns over increase in maternal deaths in Afghanistan

The United Nations says that every two hours a woman dies in Afghanistan due to complications during pregnancy or while giving birth.

Addressing a press conference, Stéphane Dujarric, the UN Secretary General’s spokesman, said Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth and every two hours a mother dies.

He said the United Nations Population Fund has requested $1.2 billion in humanitarian aid to deal with 48 million vulnerable women in 58 countries of the world, including Afghanistan.

Dujarric also said the UN has called for immediate action by the international community to help save the lives of mothers and babies.

“Today our friends at the UN Population Fund launched a humanitarian appeal for $1.2 billion to support 48 million vulnerable women in 58 countries by 2024. For example, it will unfortunately surprise no one that Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places for women to give birth, with one woman dying every two hours in 2023,” said Dujarric.

The lack of health centers in remote areas and people’s lack of access to health services are said to be the main causes of maternal mortality.

Some experts consider the unfavorable economic situation, lack of access to health services, lack of specialized hospitals, failure to respect the interval between births, traditions, forced migration, lack of access to health care before and after birth as the causes of maternal mortality in the country.

Statistics of the United Nations Population Fund in the last 3 years show that efforts to improve the wellbeing of pregnant mothers and provide measures for safe childbirth in Afghanistan have not had tangible results. The Ministry of Public Health has not yet commented.