Kabul (Afghanistan), September 8: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to remove restrictions on female medical staff so they can provide urgent healthcare to women affected by recent earthquakes in the country’s eastern provinces.
Speaking to Reuters, Mukta Sharma, WHO’s deputy for Afghanistan, said the requirement for female aid workers to travel with a mahram (male guardian) has severely limited the number of women doctors available to assist quake victims.
“Only 10 percent of health workers in these areas are women, mostly midwives and nurses,” Sharma noted, stressing that many women in affected areas are reluctant to receive care from male staff or travel alone to clinics due to cultural restrictions.
The United Nations estimates that at least 11,600 pregnant women have been impacted by the recent earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan, raising concerns about maternal health and access to emergency medical services.
However, Najibullah Hanif, head of the Department of Information and Culture in Kunar province, told TOLOnews on Sunday that no such restrictions exist on female aid workers.
“We call on charity organizations and the international community to contribute to managing this crisis. There are no restrictions, whether for female doctors or male doctors,” he said.
The Ministry of Public Health has not yet issued an official response.
Afghanistan’s healthcare system, already under strain due to funding cuts and political instability, is now struggling to deal with the aftermath of the earthquakes, with aid agencies warning that cultural barriers and staff shortages could worsen the crisis for women and children.