In the remote villages of Maroof District, access to health services is extremely limited. Poor roads, long distances to hospitals, and a lack of nearby health centers mean that pregnant women often face childbirth at home without skilled assistance. 

For many, this reality brings serious risks, prolonged labor, severe bleeding, infections, or even the loss of mother and child. For Shakeela, a 28-year-old mother of two, these risks felt alarmingly close during her latest pregnancy. 

“I know women who faced life-threatening problems during childbirth. I was very worried,” she recalled. Living far from proper medical facilities, she had no certainty that help would be available when she needed it most.

Fortunately, on the final day of her pregnancy, the UNFPA-supported Mobile Health Team (MHT) visited Sheikhzai village. Among them was Halima, a skilled midwife, who conducted Shakeela’s antenatal check-up. “I found that her delivery was near,” Halima explains. “I advised her to stay close to the health post, just in case.”

When labour began, Halima and the team were ready. Using clean and standardized equipment, she safely guided Shakeela through a normal delivery. She provided immediate postpartum care, monitored the mother, kept the newborn warm, ensured proper cord care, and helped the baby begin breastfeeding right away.