Reasons to be Cheerful · People & society

Afghan Women Rebuilding Reproductive Health Care

Over 450 community-based Family Health Houses (FHHs) in Afghanistan provide essential maternal and newborn care, overcoming health system crises and movement restrictions.

Initiated by UNFPA in 2009, FHHs are staffed by local midwives, offering prenatal checkups and emergency care in remote areas where access to larger facilities is difficult.

These clinics serve as crucial access points, with women like Ram Bibi and Manawara receiving vital care, avoiding complications from previous home births.

Globally, community medicine models have proven effective in improving healthcare access, particularly for women and children in underserved regions.

FHHs are often the only option in 'white areas,' located at least 10 km from health facilities, serving 1,500-4,000 people with high patient loads.

Challenges include high patient volumes, medicine shortages, and difficulties in training midwives, exacerbated by a ban on women's medical education.

Digital tools like the Safe Delivery App are used for remote midwife training, offering guidance and emergency protocols.

While donor funding is critical, Afghanistan's National Health Policy may offer future support. UNFPA aims to train more midwives and develop the app further.

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