In brief
Abdul Wakeel recounts the heartbreaking story of his wife Shahnaz, who died during childbirth after their local clinic was forced to close due to US aid cuts. This tragic event illustrates the profound consequences of political decisions on healthcare in Afghanistan, particularly affecting women's access to essential maternal services. As the Taliban's governance continues to complicate healthcare delivery, many women are left vulnerable, leading to an increase in maternal and infant mortality.
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 says. A 20-minute drive away, the clinic was in Shesh Pol village in Afghanistan's north-eastern Badakhshan province. It was where their two older children were born.
Abdul sat next to Shahnaz comforting her as they drove over gravel tracks to reach help. But when we reached the clinic, we saw that it was closed. I didn't know it had shut down, he said, his face crumpling with agony.
Warning: Readers may find some details in this article distressing.
The clinic in Shesh Pol is one of more than 400 medical facilities that closed down in Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest countries, after the Trump administration cut nearly all US aid to the country earlier this year, in a drastic and abrupt move following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
It doesn't look like much but in Badakhshan's mountainous, unforgiving terrain, where a lack of access has been a major reason for historically high maternal mortality rates, the clinic was a critical lifeline, part of a wider programme implemented during the tenure of the US-backed government in the country, to reduce maternal and newborn deaths.
Abdul and Shahnaz had to turn back home due to the clinic's closure. Tragically, as Shahnaz delivered their baby girl in the car, she bled profusely and died, followed shortly by their newborn.
“I wept and screamed. My wife and child could’ve been saved if the clinic was open,” said Abdul.
Similar stories echoed throughout the region, underscoring the unfortunate correlation between the US’s withdrawal of aid and the rise in maternal deaths. Hospital beds are overcrowded, and conditions have deteriorated, with women now forced to give birth at home without skilled assistance.
The Taliban government’s policies restrict access to healthcare for women, as many medical personnel are no longer being trained, further jeopardizing the lives of mothers and their newborns.
As the crisis continues, the once-promising maternal health initiatives backed by international aid have crumbled, leaving Afghan women at the mercy of a system that increasingly fails to support them.
