Information obtained from the Ministry of Public Health, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and interviews with eight obstetricians and gynecologists and 17 women in 11 provinces shows that most infant deaths in Afghanistan are caused by preventable factors.
Interviews conducted by Salam Watandar with 17 women who lost their infants over the past year show that the infants died due to limited access to health centers and preventable illnesses.
Data obtained from the Ministry of Public Health shows that in 2024, nearly one in every 100 infants born in Afghanistan died in the first few days of life. In 2025, one in every 130 infants died. UNFPA says that around 167 infants die every day in Afghanistan and that the country has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world.
It is worth noting that the infant mortality figures provided by the Ministry of Public Health and UNFPA differ. This may be due to differences in data collection methods or limitations in recording deaths in areas far from health centers.
Lack of access to health centers and missed opportunities
For this report, 17 women in 11 provinces were interviewed, all of whom had lost their infants over the past year. Among them, nine women said they lost their infants because they did not have access to health centers during pregnancy or childbirth. Four women said they lost their fetuses before birth due to premature birth and low birth weight, while another four said their infants died after birth because of breathing problems. According to doctors, these are factors that can be prevented.
Zakia, a resident of Daikundi and a mother of two children, lost her third baby six months ago, 30 days after birth, because she did not have access to a health center.
“The clinic is very far from our home. My baby was born at home and was very weak. After a month, the baby developed a cold, but we still could not take the baby to a doctor on time. I was ill, and after a few days, my husband took my baby to the district clinic. They sent the baby by ambulance to Bamyan, but the baby died before reaching the doctor,” she says.
Muslima, a resident of Waygal district in Nuristan, is another mother who lost her infant one day after birth because she did not have access to a health center during childbirth.
“There is no clinic in our village, and there is no road for vehicles to reach our home. I gave birth at home. My baby was blue and did not cry. We took the baby to a health center after a few hours, but the health center was far away, and we arrived late. My baby died one day after birth. The doctors said that if we had arrived earlier, there would have been a greater chance of saving the baby,” she says.
Gulalai, a resident of Nangarhar, lost her infant due to breathing problems, premature birth, and limited access to health centers.
“I lost my third baby about 12 hours after giving birth. My baby was born prematurely and had breathing problems. Our village is far from the health center. Because of the distance and economic problems, it was difficult to reach the health center, and we could not get there on time,” she adds.
Preventable factors of infant mortality in Afghanistan
UNFPA and doctors interviewed by Salam Watandar identified premature birth and low birth weight, severe infections, lack of oxygen during childbirth, failure to receive antenatal and postnatal care, women’s lack of awareness of the importance of this care, and inadequate nutrition during pregnancy as factors contributing to infant mortality. According to them, these factors can be prevented.
Najmussama Shefajo, head of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, says: “The most common factors contributing to infant mortality in Afghanistan are premature birth and low birth weight, severe infections, breathing problems, inadequate nutrition, and not receiving antenatal and postnatal care.”
Abeda Raha, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, says women’s lack of access to health centers, lack of awareness about the importance of antenatal care, and not seeking timely care during childbirth are among the factors that intensify infant mortality in the country.
“Most areas in Afghanistan are hard to reach, and in addition, we do not have well-equipped health centers or specialist doctors. Women cannot receive services on time. Another issue is the lack of public awareness. Even when there is a health center, people do not seek care on time, and this has led to an increase in infant mortality in the country,” she adds.
Zarghona Muhabbat, another specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, says these factors can be prevented by raising women’s awareness about the importance of antenatal care and ensuring timely access to health facilities.
“These factors are generally preventable if a mother receives antenatal care, is aware of pregnancy risk factors, goes to a health center during childbirth, and the health center has the equipment. In that case, neither the mother nor the baby would be at risk,” she says.
Meanwhile, UNFPA said in an email to Salam Watandar that Afghanistan continues to have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. According to the organization, around 167 infants die every day in the country from preventable causes.
“Effective factors contributing to infant mortality range from weaknesses in the health system and shortages of staff and equipment to home births without the presence of a doctor, barriers to accessing health services, inadequate care for newborns during the first hours after birth, malnutrition, and mothers’ health problems, many of which are preventable,” said UNFPA.
Afghanistan among countries with high infant mortality rates
Infant mortality caused by preventable factors continues to occur, while in 2024, nearly one in every 100 infants born in Afghanistan died in the first few days of life.
According to data from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of the Ministry of Public Health, of one million live births in 2024, 0.9 percent of infants died. The rate fell slightly in 2025. Among the 1.1 million live births, 0.77 percent of infants died from severe infections, premature birth, and breathing problems.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) also says that in 2025, more than 7,000 infants were admitted to hospitals supported by the organization in Khost and Helmand provinces because of breathing problems, premature birth, and severe infections. Among them, more than 5,000 infants received medical services at Boost Hospital in Helmand, while more than 1,000 others received medical services at the MSF maternity hospital in Khost.
The infant mortality rate in Helmand was reported at 15.7 percent. In Khost, 98 out of 1,852 infants admitted to the MSF maternity hospital died, accounting for 5.38 percent of the cases.
“In 2025, a total of 1,852 newborns born at the hospital were admitted to the infant unit of the MSF maternity hospital in Khost. The mortality rate in this unit was 5.38 percent (98 cases),” said MSF.
Meanwhile, according to information from the neonatal intensive care unit of Malalai Hospital obtained by Salam Watandar, in the solar year 1404 (2025), nearly one in every five newborns admitted to the unit died, and more than 65 percent of those deaths were due to premature birth.
The hospital’s data shows that of the 1,337 newborns admitted with breathing problems, premature birth, or severe infections, 298 infants died. Of these, 195 died due to premature birth.
Shortages of equipment and staff; a serious challenge to saving infants
Although the Ministry of Public Health has announced the opening of health centers in recent years and efforts to improve women’s access to health services, findings from this report, based on interviews with women and doctors, show that neonatal intensive care units in a number of health centers continue to face shortages of professional staff and medical equipment. According to doctors, this problem can play a direct role in increasing infant mortality.
Liza Shamriz, an obstetrician and gynecologist, says: “The most important shortage we face in caring for infants is a shortage of health staff. Although there are a small number of them now, we will face a severe shortage in the near future. There are also shortages of equipment and facilities for neonatal intensive care, medicines, and ambulances. Although these are available in some hospitals in the capital, they are not available in remote areas.”
Infant mortality is one of the serious challenges to Afghanistan’s health system. According to UNICEF data, in 2024, around 33 out of every 1,000 infants in Afghanistan died within the first 28 days of life. This figure shows that a significant number of infants do not have the opportunity to survive in their first weeks of life.
Reporter: Nilofar Mohammadi
