OCHA news Afghanistan star aong funds with high maternal mortality rates

Afghanistan’s maternal mortality ratio has fallen to 489 deaths per 100,000 live births, a 21 percent decline from the 621 per 100,000 baseline recorded before the current humanitarian aid cycle, according to newly released Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs data. OCHA has deployed $120 million to stabilize emergency health infrastructure, directing 62 percent of those funds specifically toward rural maternal care networks across 18 provinces.

The findings derive from a facility-level cross-sectional assessment of 2,150 health centers conducted between January and October, with results cross-verified against national demographic surveys and provincial mortality registries. In targeted intervention zones, deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants increased to 43 percent, up from 31 percent in 2020, following the deployment of mobile midwifery units and emergency obstetric kits. Hospital records from districts receiving sustained OCHA disbursements show a concurrent 14 percent reduction in severe postpartum hemorrhage cases. Modeled against historical mortality trends, this decline represents an estimated 1,840 averted maternal deaths during the reporting period.