The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Afghanistan, on the occasion of International Day of the Midwife, announced that midwives play a vital role in delivering essential health care, providing up to 90% of necessary services in crisis situations.
This international agency, in a message published today (Monday, 5 May) on the social media platform X, praised the efforts of Afghan midwives and emphasized that reproductive health care must continue even in emergencies.
Part of the message reads: “Women do not stop giving birth during crises, so access to reproductive health services should not be interrupted.”
The UNFPA also released a video featuring a midwife named Habiba from Herat, noting: “Midwives like Habiba are capable of delivering up to 90% of essential care and can save the lives of mothers and newborns even under challenging conditions.”
Afghanistan continues to have one of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates during childbirth. A lack of skilled personnel and medical facilities remains a major barrier to providing health services, particularly in the field of reproductive health.
This comes as the Taliban have banned girls’ education beyond grade six, raising serious concerns about a future shortage of female doctors and midwives. Continuing this trend could worsen the health crisis in Afghanistan.
The UNFPA has called on the international community to support training and aid programs for midwives in Afghanistan so they can continue to deliver vital services to the country’s women and children.
