Photo: © Ton Koene
Starting in 1979, with the USSR invasion, which was followed by several civil conflicts during the 1990's and finally with the US invasion in 2001, Afghanistan has been living in conflict and political instability for more than 30 years. The country's economy has collapsed and the health system is among the poorest in the world. Last month, UNICEF released a fact sheet about the situation in Afghanistan and it's hard to find a more dangerous place in the world for a pregnant woman and a child to be born.
Afghanistan has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world: 1 out of every 11 women pass away from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. There are several causes for this tragic reality: lack of access to medical facilities and personnel in urban and rural environments, early marriage, a scarcity of female healthcare providers to address cultural norms requiring women be cared for by other women and the near absence of family planning. Naturally, all these factors are aggravated by the long last conflict in Afghanistan.
Also, Afghanistan has the second highest rate of under-five mortality in the world. Thousands of children die every year due to vaccine preventable diseases, including polio and measles, to the lack of clean water and sanitation (which directly impacts nutrition) and to the limited access to medical care. According to UNICEF, in addition to the high mortality rate, Afghanistan also has the highest rates of stunting in the world, which means that pregnant women suffer from poor nutrition during pregnancy and children have repeated episodes of infectious diseases in their early years. Acute malnutrition in the country is now double the rate of 2004.
Not surprisingly, life expectancy in the country is low: if a child is lucky enough to survive birth, he or she could only expect to live until age 44. Although Afghanistan is now on the road to reconstruction, there is a lot to be done. The international community shall be committed to support Afghanistan long after the foreign troops leave the country.
Afghanistan has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world: 1 out of every 11 women pass away from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. There are several causes for this tragic reality: lack of access to medical facilities and personnel in urban and rural environments, early marriage, a scarcity of female healthcare providers to address cultural norms requiring women be cared for by other women and the near absence of family planning. Naturally, all these factors are aggravated by the long last conflict in Afghanistan.
Also, Afghanistan has the second highest rate of under-five mortality in the world. Thousands of children die every year due to vaccine preventable diseases, including polio and measles, to the lack of clean water and sanitation (which directly impacts nutrition) and to the limited access to medical care. According to UNICEF, in addition to the high mortality rate, Afghanistan also has the highest rates of stunting in the world, which means that pregnant women suffer from poor nutrition during pregnancy and children have repeated episodes of infectious diseases in their early years. Acute malnutrition in the country is now double the rate of 2004.
Not surprisingly, life expectancy in the country is low: if a child is lucky enough to survive birth, he or she could only expect to live until age 44. Although Afghanistan is now on the road to reconstruction, there is a lot to be done. The international community shall be committed to support Afghanistan long after the foreign troops leave the country.
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