Hamid Karzai Calls for Reopening of Schools for Girls to Reduce Infant Mortality

Photo: VCG

Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, in response to a recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the rise in child and infant mortality in the country, has called for the immediate reopening of schools and universities for girls.

In a message published on the social media platform X, Karzai stated that preventing the deaths of newborns and mothers depends on the development of the education system and the provision of equal opportunities for girls and boys to receive an education.

He emphasized, “The fundamental solution to these problems lies in expanding and strengthening the education system and ensuring access to education for all the children of the country, both girls and boys, along with taking necessary steps to prevent the migration of human resources and scientific and professional cadres abroad.”

He called on the Taliban government to reopen schools and universities to girls as soon as possible “so that we will no longer witness the deaths of mothers and newborns in the country as a result of the current challenges.”

The former President also called on international aid agencies and organizations to urgently address these problems by equipping and supplying the needs of health centers across Afghanistan and to take action to save the lives of mothers and children.

These remarks come as UNICEF recently reported that the infant mortality rate in Kandahar province is above the national average.

Tom Fletcher, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, after visiting a hospital in Kandahar, said that three newborns are being treated in each hospital bed and doctors are sometimes forced to make difficult decisions to save only one among several infants.

He stated that the closure of hundreds of health centers and the reduction of health budgets have deprived millions of people of access to basic medical services.