Robert Dickson, the United Kingdom’s chargé d’affaires to Afghanistan, has warned that the Taliban’s ongoing ban on women studying medicine is having a “Terrible” impact on the health of Afghan women and children.
Marking the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May, Dickson called on the Taliban to lift the restrictions on female medical education, stressing its vital role in safeguarding public health.
In a statement posted on the X social media platform, the British Embassy for Afghanistan highlighted that the country ranks seventh globally in maternal mortality. The Embassy described the reversal of the ban as a crucial step towards saving lives.
In December 2024, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree prohibiting women from attending all higher and mid-level medical education institutions. The decision drew widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally and sparked grave concern about the future of healthcare provision in Afghanistan.
The United Nations and global health experts have repeatedly warned that barring women from medical training will critically undermine Afghanistan’s already fragile healthcare system.
Afghanistan continues to report some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 24 women and 167 children die each day from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
