Maternity Care, Once a Sign of Hope in Afghanistan, Is Faltering Under the Taliban

July 18, 2022

(Wall Street Journal) – Decades of progress in maternal and neonatal healthcare, once a flagship indicator of the West’s success in Afghanistan, are eroding due to hunger, fleeing hospital staff and curbs on women’s freedom, doctors and international organizations say. At Kabul’s busiest maternity hospital, incubators and cribs hold up to three newborns at a time due to a shortage of space. The weakest patients die because of a lack of equipment and medication. Doctors say hunger is behind a rise in complications like premature delivery and low birthweight, and rates are expected to rise in the year ahead. (Read More)