ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025
Maternal health under the Taliban in Afghanistan: current status and challenges.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Completion of the National Childhood Immunization Schedule and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 24-35 Months in Afghanistan: A Nationwide Analysis of MICS 2022-23.Maternal and child health journal · 2026Article
- Postnatal Care Service Utilization and Associated Factors Among Women in Rural Afghanistan: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2022-2023 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey.Health science reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMaternal mortality remains a significant issue in low and middle-income countries, including Afghanistan, despite global efforts to reduce it. Afghanistan has made progress in providing primary healthcare services, but regional disparities persist. The recent Taliban takeover has raised concerns about women's rights and access to healthcare, as international aid has decreased and strict limitations have been imposed on women. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the status of maternal health under the Taliban by exploring the views of healthcare experts on current health challenges and the strategies being used to address them.
methodsA qualitative approach was chosen for its ability to delve into complex issues and capture rich insights. Snowball sampling was used due to challenges in accessing participants, particularly females, in Afghanistan. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted virtually with healthcare providers and professionals working in Afghanistan through Microsoft Teams. Data was analyzed using a thematic approach.
resultFindings revealed that restrictions on women's lives, shortages of female care providers, unemployment and poverty, social norms, and systemic issues like limited capacity, funding, and medicine shortages are adversely affecting maternal health conditions in the country. It was found that access to health facilities has improved due to better security situation. Despite these obstacles, key health stakeholders are using different strategies to address them, including community engagement, improved communication, and advocating for prioritized funding.
conclusionTo conclude, maternal healthcare in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the former government in August 2021. Restrictions on women's rights, coupled with funding cuts and shortages of medicines, have hindered healthcare access. Providers face challenges navigating Taliban rules while advocating for women's health. Urgent action is needed to prevent further setbacks in maternal health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.