EU Calls for Medical Education Access for Afghan Women Amid Healthcare Crisis

The European Union marked International Midwives Day (May 5) by urging the Taliban to restore Afghan women’s access to medical education, warning that current restrictions are worsening one of the world’s worst maternal health crises, Khaama press reported. Afghanistan records 638 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, with 24 mothers and 167 infants dying daily from preventable causes, according to WHO data.

The Taliban’s ban on women’s medical education has crippled healthcare delivery, particularly in rural areas, where female midwives are scarce due to harassment and forced resignations. The EU emphasized that trained midwives could reduce 60% of maternal and newborn deaths, calling their role “indispensable” in stabilizing Afghanistan’s collapsing health system.

The appeal follows UN reports linking the Taliban’s policies to a 30% drop in skilled birth attendance since 2022. With female health workers barred from education and employment, international agencies fear maternal mortality could double by 2026. The EU urged immediate policy reversals to avert a “preventable catastrophe.”