MDG 5: Improve Maternal Health

Case Study: Afghanistan’s Progress towards Improving Maternal Health

A decade ago, Afghanistan’s health system collapsed, leaving crumbling and neglected infrastructure, widespread prevalence of malnutrition, infectious disease, and some of the highest maternal mortality rates the world had ever seen. Over the last decade, the Ministry of Public Health, in a strong partnership with the international community, has made major progress in improving the health of Afghan mothers and children.National programs to improve the quality of, and increase access to, basic health services and essential hospital services, along with programs to increase the number of trained female providers including midwives, and improved community-based healthcare, contributed to these significant achievements.

Students in a successful USAID-funded midwifery project in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.

USAID

The 2010 Afghanistan Mortality Survey, the first population-based survey of its kind in Afghanistan, found that women’s use of modern methods of family planning had doubled from 10 to 20% since 2003. The maternal mortality ratio decreased from an estimated 1,600 deaths per 100,000 births to 327 per 100,000 births. Under-five mortality declined from a previous estimate of 172 to 97 deaths per 1,000 live births, and infant mortality decreased from an estimated 115 to 77 deaths per 1,000 live births. UNICEF’s June 2012 Multi Cluster Indicator Survey shows similar trends in select indicators, including Under Five Mortality, Infant Mortality, Contraceptive Prevalence, Skilled Birth Attendance, and Institutional Delivery.