INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Afghanistan faces a staggering daily toll of 24 maternal deaths and 167 infant deaths due to preventable causes, according to a new report
released Sunday by the World Health Organization.The report underscores the continuing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, highlighting the
multifaceted challenges that citizens endure daily.&Afghan citizens face an unstable health system and the daily specter of food scarcity
and malnutrition,& the WHO states
This crisis is further exacerbated by the burden of both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, frequent disease outbreaks, severe
drought, and natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, the report stated.The situation for Afghan women has particularly
deteriorated, with limited access to education and livelihoods, WHO said.The WHO report emphasizes that the need for humanitarian assistance
has surged dramatically, adding that children and women bear the brunt of the health emergency.&Preventable maternal mortality claims the
lives of 24 mothers every day, and a staggering 167 infants die each day of preventable causes,& the WHO report highlights.In addition,
Afghanistan&s high level of food insecurity affects 15.8 million people, WHO stated.Polio also remains a concern, although there have been
significant gains in its eradication since 2021, the report noted.The ongoing geopolitical situation has also affected the health sector,
leading to reduced international support
&The health sector is struggling to meet the surging demand for services,& the WHO report states
Severe underfunding led to the closure of 428 static and mobile health facilities between January and December 2023, impacting over 3
million individuals, including more than 600,000 children under five and over 240,000 pregnant and lactating women.However, the Ministry of
Public Health&s spokesman Sharafat Zaman says the report cites incorrect data
He said 300 mother have lost their lives while giving birth in the past six months.The post 24 mothers, 167 infants die in Afghanistan each
day, WHO reports first appeared on Ariana News.
