By Sajad
Afghan public health ministry officials announced at least one Afghan woman dies in every two hours across the country due maternal deaths.
Suraya Dalil Afghan public health minister said majority of the mothers die during childbirth as a result of lack of proper healthcare.
Meanwhile one Afghan woman was dying in every 24 minutes around 11 years back which reflects an improvement towards healthcare system in Afghanistan.
In this Nov. 24, 2009 photo, mothers and their toddlers wait for their food rations, in the entrance of a feeding center run by the U.N. World Food Program in Aqcha, Afghanistan. (Photo: Alfred de Montesquiou/AP)
Public health minister Suraya Dalil said majority of the women die in remote provinces of Afghanistan who are not having proper access to health clinics or they prefer childbirth in their homes.
Lack of access to doctors and medicines, poverty and other social and cultural related restrictions which prevents the women to visit the clinics are the main motives behind growing childbirth deaths in Afghanistan.
According to World Health Organization one Afghan woman out of every 11 women die due to pregnancy and childbirth while in Tajikistan one woman dies out of every 430 women due to the same issue. The lowest pregnancy and childbirth death is recorded in Austria where one dies out of every 14,300 women.
Families in Afghanistan specifically in remote regions and villages prefer childbirth in houses however public health minister Suraya Dalil says efforts have been put in place to reduce pregnancy and childbirth deaths in the country.
While speaking during a graduation ceremony of nurses in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan Suraya Dalil insisted that pregnancy and childbirth related deaths can be reduced by training and employment of professional nurses in remote regions.
Around 60 nurses were graduated after receiving 18 months of training and are due to start their work in Parwan, Kapisa and Panshir provinces of Afghanistan.