Afghanistan - Current

HealthProms work in Afghanistan

Safeguarding the Future: Improving Mother and Child Health and Expanding Education for Girls in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, maternal and infant mortality rates, malnutrition, poverty, and childhood disabilities remain alarmingly high. Rural communities are particularly vulnerable, with limited access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities, especially for women. Many families rely heavily on the support of NGOs or their neighbours to meet even their most basic needs.                                                                         

Our programme, operating across 24 villages in Northern Afghanistan and reaching approximately 22,500 people, provides both direct and systemic support to address the root causes of poverty and poor health. Our goal is to empower communities to improve the wellbeing of infants aged 0–5 and their parents or caregivers.               

Our Approach
Community-Based Healthcare: Delivering vital maternal and infant health information through home visits, group sessions, and educational resources led by qualified health workers.

Direct Medical Support: Providing midwifery care, immunisations, antenatal check-ups, and safe birth kits to expectant mothers.

Peer Support Networks: Establishing mutual support groups for pre- and postnatal parents to share experiences and guidance.

Women’s Empowerment: Offering vocational skills training and literacy/numeracy education to women, enabling them to earn an income and support their families.

Over the next three years, we plan to continue this vital work in our current villages and expand into neighbouring provinces: reaching an additional 12 villages and thousands more people.

Impact in 2024

We are proud to share the remarkable progress achieved this year:

• Maternal deaths reduced from 3 last year to just 1 this year (compared to an average of 16.5 in previous years)
• 800 women in labour received support with transportation to hospitals and medical facilities. 1,028 pregnant women attended at least two antenatal care visits.
• 1,400 pregnant women developed safe birth plans with midwives’ assistance
• 18 Community Health Workers received regular supervision and medical supplies to deliver essential primary care
• 1,400 clean birth kits distributed to expectant and new mothers
• 22 Safe Motherhood Groups and 22 Men’s Support Groups remain active across the programme area
• 103 young girls successfully returned to school in Kaldar district, where opportunities for girls’ education are now growing    

Education and Skills for Girls

Despite ongoing challenges, we are proud to continue supporting girls’ education in Kaldar. Since 2021, more than 103 girls aged 7–12 have been able to attend school, many for the first time. We renovated two girls’ schools and established libraries in both, creating safe and inspiring spaces for learning.

For girls over 12 who are unable to attend school, we provide vocational training alongside literacy and numeracy courses, ensuring they have pathways to education and self-reliance.

Our dedicated Community Health Workers and educators continue to make a lasting difference; helping families live healthier, more hopeful lives and giving Afghan girls the chance to learn, grow, and shape their own futures.