Does Political Instability Affect Access to Maternal Health Care? Experiences from Afghanistan

Ramu ., International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Navneet Kour, JMI University Delhi

Over the last decade, political instability has had a significant impact on Afghanistan's health system and utilization of healthcare services. The shift in power in the country has crucially impacted women, a vulnerable group, and their health has also suffered significantly. The present study primarily aims to examine the utilisation of maternal health care services in Afghanistan from 2010–11 to 2022–23. To achieve the study objective, data has been utilised from two rounds of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS4-2010-11 and MICS6-2022-23). The findings revealed that about 20 percent or more women had received antenatal care services in 2022–23 compared to 2010–11. Finding shows that, most deliveries took place at public health facilities, and the percentage of C-section deliveries has decreased by 4 percent. A multivariate analysis revealed that a woman's place of residence and region were significantly associated with the place and type of delivery. The study findings indicated that promoting women's education and increasing income are key factors in increasing use of maternal health care services, which in turn can lead to a decrease in maternal and child mortality in Afghanistan.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Health and Morbidity, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

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