RASC News Agency: In the western province of Badghis, Afghanistan, certain physicians acknowledge a 40% surge in maternal mortality compared to the preceding year. A medical professional from Badghis province, conditionally preserving anonymity during an interview with a RASC reporter on Sunday, December 24th, discloses that scores of women daily seek resolution for their health issues by visiting clinics in this province. However, due to the absence of female specialist physicians and inadequate healthcare facilities, mortality statistics for women have escalated.
He asserts that the scarcity of female doctors, insufficient health facilities, the neglect of investment in the health sector, and the Taliban’s prohibition on female specialist doctors in healthcare centers are contributory factors to the heightened rates of maternal and infant mortality. The source contends further that Badghis province, located in western Afghanistan, is deemed one of the neglected regions of the country, receiving less attention from responsible authorities. He adds, “If the country’s leaders can address health issues by establishing advanced clinics to prevent maternal mortality, Afghanistan will no longer witness the tragic loss of mothers and infants.”
Meanwhile, Niloufar, a woman from Badghis province, informs RASC that the absence of healthcare centers in remote areas and districts is a primary reason why many pregnant women lose their lives during childbirth. She adds that with the dominance of the Taliban in Afghanistan, most female specialist physicians have left the country and migrated to foreign nations. The source emphasizes that if the authorities of the Taliban group do not provide a conducive environment for the activities of female physicians and healthcare systems for pregnant women, this segment of society will face a significant catastrophe.
Similarly, Hamida, a resident of Badghis province, informs RASC that recently a close relative lost her life due to the lack of healthcare facilities and the long journey to maternity clinics. The source adds that the primary increase in maternal mortality in Badghis province is due to the distance from healthcare centers and inadequate health facilities, compelling rural residents to pursue their lives without medical clinics in the districts. Despite extensive efforts, we have been unable to obtain the opinions of Taliban authorities in Badghis province.
It is noteworthy that Badghis province in western Afghanistan is considered one of the deprived and remote areas of the country, perpetually distant from the focus of many governmental actors. It should be noted that the main cause of maternal and infant mortality is attributed to the incompetence of previous government officials and the current Taliban group. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Afghanistan has stated that 699 maternal deaths are recorded for every 100,000 births in Afghanistan.
