The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, it is implementing a comprehensive support program for staff at 2,400 health centers throughout Afghanistan. This initiative covers a significant portion of frontline health workers, including midwives.

According to UNICEF, the primary focus of these efforts is to strengthen maternal and child care services—a critical area for family health and reducing risks during pregnancy and childbirth. Midwives in many areas, especially remote regions, often serve as the first and sometimes sole providers of healthcare services to women.

UNICEF emphasized that the continuation of this support is essential to ensure families across the country have access to basic health services. In recent years, Afghanistan’s health system has faced serious financial and structural challenges, and ongoing international assistance has played a decisive role in preventing the collapse of essential services.