The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with around 600 mothers dying for every 100,000 live births.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the figures highlight the scale of the crisis facing mothers and newborns in Afghanistan.
In a statement posted on X, OCHA said: “Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates (~600 deaths per 100,000 live births).”
The agency said skilled medical care and female health workers are vital in reducing deaths among women and babies.
OCHA said: “Skilled care & women health workers save lives, but restrictions on women’s participation are limiting access to life-saving services for mothers and newborns.”
The warning comes as Afghanistan’s health system continues to face significant pressure, particularly in rural areas where many families have limited access to hospitals, trained midwives and emergency care.
Women and newborns are among the most vulnerable groups affected by the country’s healthcare crisis. Aid agencies have repeatedly said that when women cannot access female health workers, families may delay or avoid seeking medical treatment.
OCHA said maternal deaths are linked not only to medical complications but also to access to care. For many families, distance, poverty, a lack of transport and shortages of female staff remain major barriers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also reported high maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan, saying many deaths are linked to preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Afghan authorities have rejected OCHA’s figures.
Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, told local broadcaster Tolo News that the figures were estimates and did not reflect the ministry’s official data.
He said that only 200 mothers died last year, which he said represented a decline in the maternal mortality rate compared with previous years.
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