Search
  1. Home
  2. Asia
  3. Afghanistan

New move to reduce maternal, neonatal deaths in Afghanistan

A mother and child wait for medical care in Esteqlal hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 2008. A country notorious for war and strife, Afghanistan, is also infamous with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world Manoocher Deghati/IRIN
A mother and child wait for medical care in Esteqlal hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan
    KABUL
    The Afghan Health Ministry and its UN and NGO partners have started a “family health action group” to improve the health and nutritional status of women and children and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

    “We are starting this programme in five provinces [out of 34] and then will expand it throughout the country,” Deputy Health Minister Nadera Hayat Burhani told IRIN in Kabul, adding that volunteer health workers would train mothers on the importance of using basic healthcare services and teach them vital preventative measures.

    Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal and infant (0-12 months) mortality rates in the world, according to the UN World Health Organization.

    mp/ar/cb

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join