Afghanistan Urgently Needs 18,000 Midwives, Says UNFPA

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced that Afghanistan is in urgent need of 18,000 skilled midwives. UNFPA warned that if this need is not met, many women's lives will be at risk.

Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world and UNFPA says that midwives can fulfil about 90 percent of the immediate reproductive health needs of mothers, babies and adolescent girls.

According to the statement, there is a need for about 900,000 more trained midwives globally.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said that in 2021, it supported more than 70 family clinics in Afghanistan, but that number has now increased more than six-fold to 477 clinics, despite the very challenging operating environment.

Since 2021, these clinics have helped more than five million Afghans access vital health services, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas, according to the report.

High maternal mortality rate

The report of the United Nations Population Fund states that Afghanistan has long had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, so much so that every hour, a woman dies due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

These deaths are largely preventable with the care of skilled midwives, according to the statement.

For every 100,000 births, 638 mothers die in childbirth, due to poverty, limited access to health services and gender inequality, as per a report.

Referring to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women's education, work, and travel, the UNFPA said that the prospects for this situation appear more dangerous for women, girls, and future generations in Afghanistan.