BBC Highlights Progress and Challenges for Improving Maternal Health in Afghanistan

Posted on

By: Sarah Blake, MHTF consultant

As part of its ongoing 100 Women series, the BBC’s Newshour featured an interview and segment guest-edited by Chelsea Clinton, vice-chair of the Clinton Family Foundation.

The segment focused on the state of maternal health in Afghanistan, which has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality ratios. In particular, it focused on Minister for Health Dr. Suraya Dalil, who spoke extensively about efforts to expand and improve the quality of maternal health services in the country, and their impact on maternal health.

In discussing the choice to highlight this story as guest editor, Clinton said:

“One of the first frontiers for trying to ensure that we have real gender parity and gender equality is making sure that women have the right to make decisions about when they want to become mothers and when they will become mothers and the protections they need to deliver healthy children into the world.”