Maternal and Child Health

Authorities have not yet made clear whether this policy will be extended nationwide or remain confined to Herat

According to a report in the The Kathmandu Post, state-run health clinics have not received key contraceptive supplies, including the widely used shot Depo‑Provera and intrauterine devices, for months. This has raised concern among health officials and experts.

In a landmark public health achievement, the World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of hepatitis B.

The launch, done together with the Ministry of Health and UNICEF in Bhutan,  coincides with UNICEF’s new global child nutrition report, which finds that overweight and obesity are rising fast among children, including in Bhutan.

With each mother who learns to cook a new, nutritious meal, and each spoonful of semolina porridge lovingly fed to a child, the cycle of poverty and poor health begins to break.

Daniyal’s arrival is not a miracle story – it's a chilling symbol of the desperate circumstances confronting Afghan refugees in Pakistan today.

In 2023 alone, roughly 260,000 women worldwide died during or shortly after childbirth, with 22 per cent (about 58,000 maternal deaths) occurring in the Asia-Pacific – many of which were preventable with timely midwife-led care.

Meanwhile, the de facto authorities have conveyed grievances around frozen assets, sanctions, non-recognition, the need for greater development assistance, and an end to aid dependency.