Across Afghanistan, access to healthcare has become increasingly fragile for women and girls. Hospitals that once offered basic services struggle to remain open. Medical workers face shortages of supplies and staff. And for many families, simply reaching a clinic has become an overwhelming challenge. 

A report highlighted by Amu TV, drawing on findings from United Nations experts, including Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, describes a healthcare system under severe strain. Policies introduced by Taliban authorities, combined with long-standing structural challenges, have created conditions that leave millions of Afghan women without reliable access to medical care. 

The consequences extend far beyond hospitals and clinics. They touch every aspect of daily life, particularly for women whose health needs require the services of trained female professionals. 

The Loss of Future Medical Professionals 

One of the most concerning developments has been a directive issued in December 2024 that barred women from attending medical and health training institutions. Programs in nursing, midwifery, laboratory sciences, and other clinical fields were shut down for female students. Women preparing to graduate were also prevented from taking the examinations required to enter the workforce. 

The decision halted what had long been a critical pipeline of future healthcare professionals. Afghanistan already faced a shortage of trained staff, especially women doctors, nurses, and midwives. With education pathways closed, that shortage is expected to deepen. 

According to the UN report, women currently make up only a small share of the country’s medical workforce, including about 27 percent of general physicians and fewer specialists. As existing professionals retire, leave the country, or step away from their work, replacing them becomes increasingly difficult. 

Richard Bennett described the restrictions as “completely unjustifiable,” warning that the long-term consequences could bring unnecessary illness and loss of life. 

A Health System Already Under Pressure 

Even before these restrictions, Afghanistan’s healthcare system faced serious challenges. Decades of conflict, limited infrastructure, and economic instability left many communities with only minimal access to medical services. 

Facilities often struggled with shortages of equipment, medicine, and trained personnel. Many clinics operated with limited funding, while others closed entirely. In rural areas, families sometimes traveled long distances to find care. 

Funding reductions also placed additional strain on the system. International organizations and humanitarian groups continued to support healthcare delivery across the country, but cuts to aid programs in 2025 contributed to the closure of hundreds of facilities. Community education programs, referral systems, and protective services were scaled back as resources tightened. 

The result was a healthcare system stretched thin, attempting to meet the needs of millions with fewer staff and fewer resources. 

Barriers That Prevent Women From Seeking Care 

For many Afghan women, reaching medical care involves navigating strict rules governing movement and public life. 

Policies require women to be accompanied by a male guardian, or mahram, when traveling outside the home. In practice, this rule often determines whether a woman can access healthcare at all. 

Women who are widowed, separated, displaced, or leading their own households frequently struggle to find someone able to accompany them. Even when a guardian is available, transportation costs and scheduling challenges can delay treatment. 

Healthcare workers have reported cases in which women were denied entry to hospitals or clinics because they arrived without a male escort. In some instances, the consequences proved devastating. Reports included women forced to give birth outside hospital gates and children who could not receive treatment in time. 

Dress code enforcement has created additional obstacles. Patients and healthcare workers alike have faced questioning or denial of entry when authorities determined that clothing requirements were not met. In one province, enforcement measures led to a sharp drop in hospital admissions, as women hesitated to seek care. 

Fear of harassment, detention, or public scrutiny has led some families to restrict women’s movements entirely, further limiting access to medical services. 

Women Who Continue to Serve 

Healthcare remains one of the few sectors where women have continued working, but the conditions surrounding their employment have grown increasingly complex. 

In some areas, female medical staff must be accompanied by a male guardian to and from their workplace. Certain provinces require workers to register their guardians’ identities and carry documentation proving the relationship. These requirements create logistical burdens and make it harder for organizations to maintain consistent staffing levels. 

Medical workers also describe an environment of constant oversight. Inspections, religious orientation sessions, and administrative scrutiny create stress and uncertainty. Some healthcare professionals have left their positions, while others have emigrated in search of stability. 

The loss of these experienced workers has left gaps in hospitals and clinics that are difficult to fill. 

Communities Facing a Growing Gap in Care 

The cumulative effect of these policies has reshaped the future of healthcare in Afghanistan. 

Without access to education, new generations of female healthcare workers cannot enter the profession. At the same time, existing staff members continue to leave due to pressure, safety concerns, and economic hardship. Rural communities, already underserved, face the most severe shortages. 

The United Nations estimates that only a fraction of Afghanistan’s women have reliable access to healthcare services. For many, particularly those living outside major cities, even basic treatment has become uncertain. 

Maternal care, childhood illness, and chronic disease management all depend heavily on trained female providers. When those providers disappear, entire communities lose a critical lifeline. 

The Human Cost of Systemic Barriers 

The report concludes that the growing health crisis cannot be explained solely by economic hardship or infrastructure problems. Rather, a combination of policies affecting women’s education, employment, and mobility has reshaped how healthcare functions across the country. 

When women cannot train as doctors or nurses, fewer professionals are available to treat patients. When movement restrictions prevent women from traveling alone, even existing services become difficult to reach. 

These interconnected barriers carry lasting consequences. They shape not only the health of individual patients, but also the future of the country’s medical system. 

For Afghan women and girls, healthcare is not simply about hospitals or medicines. It is about whether help is available when it is needed most and whether reaching it is possible at all.