WHO: 24 Mothers and 167 Babies Die Every Day in Afghanistan from Preventable Causes

The report, published today, Sunday, June 9th, emphasizes that women and children are bearing the brunt of the deteriorating health crisis in Afghanistan.

"Sadly, preventable maternal deaths claim the lives of 24 mothers every day, and 167 newborns die daily due to preventable causes," the report states. The WHO adds that Afghan citizens face a fragile health system and grapple with food shortages and malnutrition on a daily basis.

This situation is compounded by a significant burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, recurrent disease outbreaks, severe drought, and other natural disasters. The WHO report highlights that the plight of Afghan women is exacerbated by limited access to education and livelihoods for girls and women.

The organization further states that the need for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan has increased dramatically, from 18.4 million people before August 2021 to 23.7 million in 2024. Around 9.5 million people living in over 20,000 villages still have limited or no access to primary health care services.

The WHO says that due to severe funding shortages, 428 fixed and mobile health facilities were closed between January and December 2023. 310 health facilities across the country, including hospitals, will face severe service shortages and lack of support due to funding shortfalls. These closures have had a devastating impact on access to healthcare for over three million people, including over 600,000 children under five and over 240,000 pregnant and lactating women.

The WHO in Afghanistan says it needs an additional $352 million to complete its overall budget of $432 million for 2024-2025 to maintain gains.

The organization adds that Afghanistan has made significant strides in eradicating polio since 2021. Six children were paralyzed by the poliovirus in 2023, down from 59 in 2020. However, persistent challenges remain.

In the past year, six positive polio cases were registered in Nangarhar province, and environmental samples of the virus were also detected in other provinces, including Zabul.

It is worth noting that Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio has not been eliminated.