KABUL (UNAMA news release) – Without sufficient access to health services and education, Afghan women have too many children too frequently exposing them and their families to dangers, the head of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, today said on his first official visit to Asia.

“One in 16 women of reproductive health dies in child birth. For every one that dies, five or six have permanent damage. It is important that we put in place health services that prevent this from happening, and that we strengthen the ability of women to determine how many children they have,” Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, told reporters in Kabul.

The average Afghan woman has 6.5 children, while data shows she wants only three or four, the Executive Director said, adding that Afghanistan’s population growth doubled in the last 30 years stressing economic development and making the country increasingly at risk for possible famines.

As part of the solution, the Executive Director noted education in directly linked to women having greater opportunities to make decisions about their bodies, make them less likely to marry early and more secure from gender-based violence.

During his visit, Osotimehin said he wanted to see firsthand the progress Afghanistan was making on the UN Secretary-General’s Every Woman Every Child campaign.

Launched before the UN General Assembly in 2010, the campaign challenges governments, businesses and civil society to commit to helping maternal and newborn health. Afghanistan was one of the first 16 countries to join.

“Afghanistan has an international commitment to deliver health services to every woman and child, with the purpose of creating better living conditions,” said the acting Minister of Public Health, Suraya Dalil, who also spoke at the press conference.

The commitments include hiring and training additional health care workers, as well as supporting education for girls and women, creating greater economic opportunities and improving the country’s transportation.

The Government is due to announce next month a project supported by UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, World Bank and other partners, to intensify work in these areas.

About 60 per cent of the Afghan population – mostly women and children – have access to health services, according to government figures, and only about 24 per cent of births are overseen by skilled birth attendants.

“The biggest challenge we face is a lack of medical staff and attendees to reach all the provinces,” Minister Dalil said.

As part of his visit, Osotimehin attended a midwifery training centre in Kabul where he spoke with 23 students from Bamyan and Dai Kundi. The girls, between 18 and 35 years old, will return to their villages after the two-year training period and provide medical care for pregnant women and infants through the Family Health Houses programme led by the Ministry of Public Health.

Osotimehin called the midwifery school “a major step forward” and pledged continued UNFPA support for the students.

Maternal and newborn health is one of the five priority areas for the UN in Afghanistan, along with dialogue and peace, human rights protection, sub-national governance and rule of law, and sustainable livelihoods.

During every 100,000 live deliveries, 1,400 mothers die according to figures cited by Minister Dalil. Read more about the importance of midwives in UNAMA news archives.

The high-profile visit comes just weeks before the world population is expected to reach a record 7 billion on 31 October.

With the International Year of Youth recently over, Osotimehin urged officials to engage with young people to make wise decisions.

“They will decide when we reach 8 or 9 billion. We must make young people feel included,” he said.

About 70 per cent of the Afghan population is 25 years old or younger.

Yesterday, Osotimehin discussed the situation of women’s health with second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili. Osotimehin praised the Government for its commitment to the issue and for the progress made, and reiterated the UN’s commitment to support new and continued efforts to combat maternal mortality.