Midwives, a hope for women in Afghanistan
The UN estimates that a woman dies every two hours during pregnancy or childbirth in Afghanistan. A pilot project for young midwives is now intended to provide a sign of hope in the Taliban-run country.
Learning their way around the maternity ward
Under the guidance of specialist staff, trainee midwives in a hospital in the provincial capital of Bamiyan learn how to support pregnant women during childbirth and how to care for mothers and children. The program was launched by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in cooperation with the local aid organization Watan Social and Technical Services Association.
Waiting for labor
Since coming back to power in 2021, the Taliban have blocked women's access to education, universities and the labor market. The only exception has been the health sector. The 40 young women being trained in the Bamiyan hospital as part of the pilot project will later care for pregnant women in their villages.
Classes by women for women
The participants follow the lessons with concentration and motivation: "I want to learn and help the people in my village," a 23-year-old midwifery student said. The help is needed: In Afghanistan, almost 6% of all newborns die before they reach the age of five.
First-hand experience
Part of the daily routine is to measure the blood pressure of pregnant women. Some of the prospective midwives are already mothers themselves and know the problems that can occur during pregnancy: "At first, I didn't want to become a nurse or a midwife," one project participant said before adding that experiences during her own pregnancy changed her view.
A long look in the mirror
Everything has to be just so: A 20-year-old student midwife adjusts her head and nose covering in front of the mirror shortly before starting her shift. Her commitment to her midwifery training is enormous, as it takes her around two hours on foot to reach the hospital.
Help where it's most needed
After their training, the midwives will assist women in remote villages. People there are often cut off from medical care. According to the World Health Organization, Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world: Around 3% of all women there die during or as a result of pregnancy.
A mother mourns the loss of her son
Because of this lack of medical care, 35-year-old Aziza Rahimi lost her son. "I was bleeding for two hours and my husband couldn't find an ambulance," she said. Her son died shortly after birth, which she endured by herself at home. "I nursed my child in my belly for nine months and then lost him, it's extremely painful."
Lack of information for Afghan women
Many of the women waiting for treatment at the hospital in Bamiyan have no access to information about pregnancy, childbirth or family planning. The birth rate in Afghanistan remains above the regional average; statistically, a woman there gives birth to 4.64 children. By comparison, the rate in neighboring Iran is 1.69.