UN Expert Warns of Severe Shortage of Female Doctors in Afghanistan

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett says Afghanistan’s health sector faces critical shortages of female doctors due to sweeping restrictions on women.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, says the country’s health system is facing an acute shortage of female medical professionals.

In his latest report on Wednesday, Febraury 25, Bennett noted that women make up just 27 percent of general physicians, 18 percent of specialist doctors and 29 percent of nurses nationwide. The figures highlight widening gender gaps in the healthcare workforce.

The report stresses that policies imposed by the Taliban restricting women’s education, employment, mobility and public participation are inflicting deep and lasting damage on the health sector.

It warns that the 2024 ban on women’s medical education has not only disrupted current service delivery but also undermined the long-term sustainability of Afghanistan’s healthcare system.

Medical institutes that were previously open to women were closed by order of the current authorities, cutting off access to training in medicine, nursing, midwifery and other health-related fields.

The report adds that many female health workers are retiring, emigrating or being forced out of their jobs, leaving rural and underserved communities without trained staff capable of providing safe and culturally acceptable care.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from secondary and higher education, leaving millions out of school. Women have also been restricted from working in NGOs, UN offices and many public spaces.

Afghanistan is already facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with collapsing public services and strained healthcare facilities. International agencies warn that continued restrictions on women risk further weakening an already fragile system.

Bennett called for urgent international engagement, warning that without immediate corrective action, Afghanistan’s healthcare infrastructure could face irreversible decline.

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