Health
Midwives Day: UN urges greater investment to protect mothers and newborns in Afghanistan
UNFPA added that improving access to skilled midwives is key to ensuring safer pregnancies and addressing persistent gaps in healthcare services for women and children.
Marking the International Day of the Midwife, the United Nations Population Fund in Afghanistan has called for urgent investment in midwifery services to help reduce maternal and newborn deaths across the country.
In a message shared on X, UNFPA said expanding the global midwifery workforce — including the addition of up to one million midwives — would be one of the most effective ways to save lives by improving access to antenatal care, safe deliveries, and postnatal support.
The agency stressed that midwives are central to strengthening healthcare systems and preventing avoidable deaths, particularly in Afghanistan where maternal and child health indicators remain among the most challenging.
UNFPA added that improving access to skilled midwives is key to ensuring safer pregnancies and addressing persistent gaps in healthcare services for women and children.
The organization reaffirmed its commitment to maternal and newborn health programmes and called on international partners to sustain support for strengthening Afghanistan’s healthcare workforce.