theguardian.com
Afghan Midwife's Struggle Amidst Highest Maternal Mortality
In Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, midwife Anisa, working with a UN team, combats the highest maternal mortality rate in Asia by providing crucial healthcare in remote villages, despite challenges from geographic isolation, low female literacy, and the Taliban's restrictions, which ended her work in January 2025 after international aid ceased.
- What are the primary factors contributing to the high maternal mortality rate in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, and what immediate consequences result?
- In northeastern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, geographic isolation, low female literacy (under 10%), and limited medical infrastructure cause significant delays in emergency maternal care, leading to preventable deaths from complications like hemorrhage or infection. Midwives like Anisa, working with a UN mobile health team, provide crucial support, including home deliveries and emotional counseling, yet face immense challenges.
- How do the Taliban's policies, specifically the closure of midwifery schools and restrictions on women's movement, impact maternal healthcare access and outcomes?
- The situation in Badakhshan highlights the interconnectedness of geographic, social, and economic factors impacting maternal health. The Taliban's 2021 takeover exacerbated existing issues by restricting women's movement, closing midwifery schools in December 2024, and causing the withdrawal of international aid, effectively ending Anisa's work in January 2025. This directly impacts maternal mortality, already the highest in Asia.
- What are the long-term implications of reduced international aid and the resulting cessation of mobile health services for maternal health in Badakhshan, and what potential solutions could mitigate the crisis?
- The cessation of Anisa's work and the UN mobile health team's operations due to funding cuts foreshadow a substantial worsening of maternal mortality rates in Badakhshan. The lack of trained midwives, coupled with restricted access to healthcare for women, points to a humanitarian crisis demanding urgent international intervention. Without renewed support, the already dire situation is poised to deteriorate further.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The narrative is framed to evoke strong emotional responses by focusing on the personal stories of Anisa and the hardships faced by Afghan women. The opening paragraph's contrast between Japan and Afghanistan sets a tone of stark difference, emphasizing the challenges in Afghanistan. The detailed descriptions of difficult journeys and limited resources create a compelling narrative that might overshadow broader systemic issues.
Language Bias
The language used is generally neutral, but terms like "extremely low literacy rate" and "rugged terrain" carry implicit negative connotations. While descriptive, these phrases could be replaced with more neutral alternatives, such as "low literacy rate" and "challenging geography." The overall tone is empathetic and avoids overly sensationalist language.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the challenges faced by midwives and pregnant women in Afghanistan, but omits discussion of potential solutions or interventions beyond the UN mobile health team. While acknowledging the withdrawal of international aid, it doesn't explore alternative funding sources or government initiatives that might be underway. The lack of information on broader governmental responses or long-term strategies to improve maternal health in Afghanistan constitutes a bias by omission. Additionally, the article does not explore the perspectives of the Afghan government or Taliban on healthcare policies and their rationale for the decisions made.
False Dichotomy
The narrative implicitly presents a false dichotomy between the safety of childbirth in Japan and the extreme danger in Afghanistan. While highlighting the stark contrast in maternal mortality rates, it doesn't acknowledge the complexities of healthcare systems in both countries or the existence of challenges in Japan's system. This simplification could lead readers to overly generalize about the state of maternal healthcare in both nations.
Gender Bias
The article centers the narrative around women's experiences and perspectives, giving voice to their struggles and challenges. However, while the challenges faced by male relatives are briefly mentioned, it doesn't delve into the complexities of their roles and perspectives in relation to women's healthcare in Afghanistan. The article implicitly focuses on women's experiences more than men's which may be considered to have a slight gender bias. The article does not present evidence of a gender bias against women in the story.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights the extremely high maternal mortality rate in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, due to factors like geographical inaccessibility, low literacy rates among women, shortage of midwives, and the recent ban on midwifery schools by the Taliban. These factors directly impede progress towards SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), specifically target 3.1 (reducing maternal mortality rates). The closure of mobile health teams due to the withdrawal of international donors further exacerbates the situation.