In Afghanistan there are many factors that contribute to the dire health statics of women in the country. Cultural standards don’t allow women to see a male physician and in some cases permission to travel unaccompanied to a medical facility. When we opened the doors to the hospital in 2009, the statistics were 1 in 4 women die of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. We were committed to focusing on providing more available opportunities for women including: training and employing female physicians and midwives, creating community outreach clinics to meet the vital health needs of women who are not able to come to the hospital. Since 2009, more available services and better education for women have been several of the contributing factors that have helped to improve the statistics to 1 in 8 women who die of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
