When Shahnaz went into labour, her husband Abdul called a taxi to take them to the only medical facility accessible to them. She was in a lot pain, he recalls. A 20-minute drive away, the clinic in Shesh Pol village, Afghanistan was where their two older children were born. But when they arrived, it was closed - a shock that Abdul could never have prepared for. The Shesh Pol clinic was one of over 400 medical facilities that shut down in Afghanistan after the Trump administration cut nearly all US aid following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Without this critical access to medical care, Abdul faced a tragedy he couldn't prevent. Shahnaz delivered their baby girl on the roadside, but died soon after from excessive bleeding; their newborn baby girl also passed away just hours later. Reports indicate that maternal mortality rates have surged as healthcare access worsens, challenging the lives of countless Afghan women. The closure of clinics continues to endanger maternal and newborn health, underscoring the grim consequences of political decisions that directly affect human lives in vulnerable regions.
Afghanistan's Maternal Health Crisis: A Personal Tragedy
Afghanistan's Maternal Health Crisis: A Personal Tragedy
The shuttering of vital medical facilities in Afghanistan due to US aid cuts has resulted in heartbreaking consequences. One family's devastating story unveils the severe impact on women’s health and maternal mortality in the region.
After the US government cut funding to Afghanistan, over 400 medical facilities, including the only clinic in Shesh Pol, closed down. This resulted in tragic outcomes, as illustrated by the story of Abdul, whose wife Shahnaz died giving birth due to lack of access to medical care. With rising maternal and newborn mortality rates, the situation highlights the dire effects of the aid cuts.
