Findings by Salam Watandar, based on data from Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Public Health, international organizations, and interviews with medical specialists, indicate that cesarean deliveries are on the rise in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Rising trend of cesarean deliveries in Afghanistan in recent years<\/strong><\/p>\n Based on to the findings, the number of cesarean deliveries increased by approximately 38% between 2021 and 2025, with a 15% rise recorded between 2024 and 2025 alone.<\/p>\n Health experts and medical institutions say the increase in cesarean deliveries is linked to factors such as low oxygen levels in the fetus, bleeding before delivery, labor that does not progress normally, and maternal anemia.<\/p>\n They also point to changes in mothers\u2019 lifestyles, a shortage of obstetric and gynecological specialists, delays in receiving prenatal care, financial incentives in some private healthcare facilities, and the preference of some women to avoid the pain of natural childbirth as reasons behind the rise in cesarean deliveries.<\/p>\n Doctors warn that repeated cesarean deliveries, in cases of negligence, can increase the risk of uterine adhesions and secondary infertility.<\/p>\n Interviews conducted by Salam Watandar with 17 women across 10 provinces found that many had experienced multiple cesarean deliveries at shorter-than-recommended intervals because they lacked awareness of the importance of spacing pregnancies. Many complained of the physical and psychological consequences.<\/p>\n More than 97,000 cesarean deliveries recorded in 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n Data from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of the Ministry of Public Health show that more than 97,000 cesarean deliveries were recorded in Afghanistan in 2025. This represents a 15% increase compared with 2024, when more than 84,000 cases were reported. According to the data, Kabul recorded the highest number of cases, accounting for more than 28% of all cesarean deliveries, while Nuristan recorded the lowest, at 0.4%.<\/p>\n Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, says, \u201cIn 2025, a total of 97,007 cesarean deliveries were recorded in Afghanistan. Compared with 84,276 cases in 2024, this represents an increase of about 15%. Kabul recorded for more than 28% of the total cases in 2025, while Nuristan, with only 37 recorded cases, had the lowest, at 0.4%.\u201d<\/p>\n The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), referring to the 38% increase in cesarean deliveries between 2021 and 2025, told Salam Watandar that 88% of these deliveries are performed to manage complications such as difficult labor or fetal emergencies. According to UNFPA,<\/p>\n \u201cThe number of cesarean deliveries increased from 70,293 cases in 2021 to 96,984 in 2025. Most of these deliveries were emergency cases and performed to address childbirth problems. The shortage of female nurses, the preference of some urban women for cesarean delivery, the higher quality of private healthcare services, financial incentives for doctors, and delays in prenatal care have all contributed to the increase. The highest number of these cases is recorded in private healthcare facilities in Kabul.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Abdul Qayum Popal, Deputy Health Director of M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF), told Salam Watandar that cesarean deliveries have also increased in facilities supported by MSF.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2025, out of 24,952 women who visited MSF-supported hospitals, 795 gave birth by cesarean section, representing 3% of all deliveries. However, in 2013, 375 out of 13,374 patients\u2014about 2%\u2014underwent cesarean delivery. These numbers show that the share of cesarean sections has risen from 2% in 2013 to 3% in 2025,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Factors behind the rising cesarean deliveries <\/strong><\/p>\n Obstetricians and gynecologists also confirm the growing number of cesarean births, identifying fetal oxygen deprivation, premature bleeding, stoppage in the progress of labor that threatens the life of the fetus, anemia, and not receiving prenatal care as major causes. They also emphasize that while cesarean delivery is often necessary to save the lives of both mother and child, in cases of doctors\u2019 negligence, it may increase the risk of secondary infertility.<\/p>\n Sunita Bahram, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, says,<\/p>\n \u201cShort-term consequences of cesarean delivery include wound infection, dizziness, severe pain, and blood clots. However, in cases of doctors\u2019 negligence, it can also lead to uterine and abdominal muscle adhesions and secondary infertility. The more cesarean operations a woman undergoes, the greater the risk of muscle damage, adhesions, and infertility.\u201d<\/p>\n Abeda Raha, another obstetrics and gynecology specialist, points to lifestyle changes, obesity, some mothers\u2019 choice not to experience labor pain, and the financial incentives of private healthcare facilities as reasons behind the increase in cesarean deliveries across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cMany women who do not want to experience labor pain choose cesarean delivery themselves. Our experience shows that many cesareans are not performed solely because of medical factors. Another reason for the rising numbers may be that cesarean delivery is a source of income for private hospitals,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n Warnings over the consequences of repeated cesarean deliveries<\/strong><\/p>\n To prevent repeated cesarean operations and their consequences, doctors emphasize spacing pregnancies after a cesarean, consulting a doctor before pregnancy, and receiving prenatal care during pregnancy.<\/p>\n Zarghona Muhabbat, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, says, \u201cA woman who has had a previous cesarean should consult a doctor before deciding to become pregnant again and should undergo a medical assessment before pregnancy. During pregnancy, she should have regular meetings and undergo the necessary examinations. She should receive all prenatal care according to the schedule set by her doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n Based on World Health Organization (WHO) indicators, there should be 24 months or more between two consecutive cesarean deliveries (from one cesarean birth to the next). This generally means waiting at least 15 to 18 months before becoming pregnant again. Shorter intervals\u2014especially less than 6 to 12 months\u2014can increase the risk of uterine rupture during a future pregnancy or labor, preterm birth, low birth weight, and placental complications.<\/p>\n Lack of awareness about the importance of birth spacing<\/strong><\/p>\n However, interviews conducted by Salam Watandar with 17 women across 10 provinces show that these women, due to a lack of awareness about birth spacing methods and related health challenges such as high blood pressure, anemia, and abnormal fetal position in the uterus, had experienced a second or multiple cesarean deliveries.<\/p>\n Raihana, a 29-year-old mother of two children who has undergone two cesarean sections, says,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was pregnant for the first time, I went to the hospital and they told me I had to have a cesarean because there was not enough fluid and it was dangerous for the baby. The second time, I became pregnant a year and a half later. At the hospital, they said that because I had already had one operation and the interval between births was short, I needed another cesarean because there was a risk that my uterus could rupture.\u201d<\/p>\n Tahmina, a 35-year-old mother of three children from Samangan who has had three cesarean deliveries, says,<\/p>\n \u201cThe gap between my cesarean deliveries was one to two years. One child was born just one year after the previous birth, and the other after two years. I had three cesarean deliveries because I was anemic and my baby was not growing properly.\u201d<\/p>\n The women interviewed also described the consequences of cesarean delivery, including impatience, psychological disorders, fear of pregnancy, and dependence on others. They say that after cesarean delivery they are not able to care for their children properly.<\/p>\n Shakila, a 20-year-old resident of Daikundi, who have had two cesarean deliveries, shares her experience as,<\/p>\n \u201cI became weak and anemic. I cannot do heavy household work, I often feel like vomiting, and I am very afraid of my pregnancy. I sometimes think that if the doctors had waited, I could have delivered naturally, but because I had no information, I agreed to the cesarean.\u201d<\/p>\n Kobra, a 28-year-old resident of Herat, also says, \u201cAfter each cesarean, I felt my body becoming weaker. I had abdominal and back pain and became tired very quickly. Taking care of my children was difficult because their birth gaps were so close together. Psychologically, there was a lot of pressure because I was not fully recovered while having to look after several of my young children. That is why I think that when the interval between pregnancies is short, repeated cesareans create even more problems.\u201d<\/p>\n Data shows that Afghanistan\u2019s healthcare system relies on cesarean delivery to respond to obstetric emergencies, but it has not been able to raise women\u2019s awareness of the consequences of repeated cesareans and the importance of proper birth spacing. On the other hand, doctors warn that while international organizations continue to provide statistics, many of the women who most receive this information are still being left behind.<\/p>\n Reporter: Nilofar Mohammadi<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Findings by Salam Watandar, based on data from Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Public Health, international organizations, and interviews with medical specialists, indicate that cesarean deliveries are on the rise in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":30080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[990,186,218,24],"tags":[207,1741,1955,1956,1957],"class_list":["post-30077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-investigative-reports","category-health","category-women","tag-women","tag-lack-of-awareness","tag-cesarean-deliveries","tag-medical-necessity","tag-birth-spacing"],"views":35,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30077"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30084,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30077\/revisions\/30084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}