Preventable maternal mortality in Afghanistan: Trends, lessons, and recommendations

This article synthesizes recent peer-reviewed studies and institutional reports on maternal mortality following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and compares emerging patterns with the first Taliban period (1996-2001), when maternal mortality reached some of the highest levels recorded in conflict settings. Multiple data sources indicate worsening conditions after 2021, including sharp reductions in service utilization following funding interruptions, reported declines in access to antenatal and intrapartum care, and clinician-reported increases in delays and life-threatening obstetric complications. Modeling based on routine health data suggests that sustained reductions in coverage could result in thousands of additional maternal deaths annually. The acute difference between Afghanistan, especially since 2021, and many other fragile settings is that gender-based restrictions specifically target women's and girls' education, employment, and movement, directly affecting demand-side access and supply-side staffing capacity for maternal care, thus offending Afghanistan's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women.