Shocking maternal mortality rates revealed by UNICEF

Shocking statistics on maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan were revealed on Thursday in the Afghan capital, Kabul, following a survey conducted by UNICEF and the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "These figures are shocking and confirm what we had already suspected. But we now have the hard evidence," UNICEF spokesman in Kabul, Chulho Hyun, told IRIN. The survey, the largest ever of its kind, was carried out in four Afghan provinces Kabul, Laghman, Kandahar and Badakhshan in order to highlight a range of different conditions in rural and urban areas. It was discovered that Badakhshan had the highest rate of maternal mortality. "To be a women in this province really is a matter of life and death," Hyun warned. Health workers from both organisations and staff from the Afghan ministry of health, travelled from house to house for several days on horseback in remote areas to interview women. A total of 13,000 households were surveyed between March and July 2002, with an estimated 85,000 women responding to questions. Researchers found a staggering average of 1,600 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births - one of the highest in the world - compared to just 12 deaths per 100,000 in the US. An estimated 515,000 women die every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth in the country. "It should be one of the happiest moments for a family, but sadly in Afghanistan it turns into one of the most tragic events," he added. However, it was not just maternal mortality rates that were shocking. Linked to this is the fact that when the mother of a newborn dies, the child has only one chance in four of surviving until it's first birthday. "The loss of a mother at birth is one of the most traumatising and critical events of a child's life," UNICEF's Executive Director, Carol Bellamy said in a statement issued on Thursday. More saddening was the fact that most maternal deaths were preventable, with more than 90 percent of women unable to be assisted by a skilled birth attendant. The survey also showed that most expectant mothers were illiterate and between the ages of 20 and 29. In a country where home births are traditional, UNICEF is pressing for raising awareness so that women can get help in time for the birth. Hyun referred to a project in the eastern city of Jalalabad where women are being given training as midwives, as an additional skill. "We now have immense commitment from the Afghan government and particularly the health ministry in reducing a problem which has never really been given the importance that it should have due to cultural reasons," he explained. Focus on Maternal healthcare Maternal Mortality in Afghanistan: Magnitude, Causes, Risk Factors and Preventability.