Afghan women face healthcare access crisis under Taliban rule

“PassBlue” has recently reported on the lack of access for women to healthcare and its impact on increasing maternal mortality, KHaama Press revealed in its article.

The non-profit media organization led by women stated that “In Afghanistan, women are dying on their way to the hospital or inside it.”

Furthermore, the report notes: “Today, in Afghanistan, the use of shared beds for women, even in advanced medical facilities [in Kabul], is not unusual. Worse still, more women lose their lives on their way to hospitals due to pregnancy complications, as they have to travel for hours or even days to receive healthcare.”

According to this report, “The Taliban’s control of Afghanistan has increased maternal mortality rates.”

PassBlue, citing experts, reports that the lack of medical equipment in hospitals and clinics is not the only threat to Afghan mothers’ lives; a wide range of economic, social, and political factors are also contributing to the crisis.

Moreover, the limited access of many women to healthcare in remote Afghan villages has resulted in more women losing their lives on their way to hospitals due to pregnancy complications, as they need to travel for hours or even days to receive care.

This women-led media outlet, citing experts, reports that since the Taliban’s resurgence, pregnancies among women in Afghanistan have increased. Doctors in Afghanistan and former health activists and officials abroad claim that poverty and lack of opportunities for women in the country are leading some families to marry off their daughters earlier than before.