The United Arab Emirates has inaugurated 10 maternity centers across seven provinces in Afghanistan as part of its “Comprehensive Development Program,” aimed at strengthening essential infrastructure, particularly in healthcare.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the initiative in a statement, emphasizing its alignment with the country’s ongoing humanitarian and development efforts under its foreign aid policy. These programs, the ministry noted, are implemented and supervised by the UAE Coordination Office for Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan.
The maternity centers officially opened last Monday, with two facilities each in Herat, Kandahar, and Paktia, and additional centers in Jalalabad, Helmand, Paktika, and Mazar-i-Sharif.
Growing concerns over Afghanistan’s healthcare system
The UAE’s efforts come amid mounting challenges in Afghanistan’s healthcare system, exacerbated by the Taliban’s recent decision to bar women from attending medical institutions. The move has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community and healthcare organizations.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that the ban would have devastating consequences for women’s health and the broader healthcare system. “There is no healthcare system without educated female health practitioners,” said Mickaël Le Paih, MSF’s country representative in Afghanistan. He described the ban as part of a larger effort to exclude women from public and professional life, with severe implications for healthcare access and quality.
Afghanistan already faces an acute shortage of female healthcare workers, particularly in areas where strict gender segregation requires women to be treated by female practitioners. The ban is expected to worsen this crisis, further limiting access to care and threatening the sustainability of the healthcare system.
A Critical Juncture
While the UAE’s maternity centers offer a lifeline to many Afghan women, experts caution that systemic issues—particularly the exclusion of women from medical education and practice—remain a significant threat to the nation’s healthcare future.
