FACT SHEET

For Response to Reproductive Health Needs

(24 September 2001)

Reproductive Health Indicators for Afghanistan

Basic demographic information

Total population 22.720.000

Sex Ratio (M:F) 1.05:1

% of women who are aged 15 – 49 45.3 %

% of total population who are women aged 15 – 49 22.1 %

Percentage <5 years of age 19.2 %

Total fertility rate (per woman) 6.9

Safe Motherhood reference rates

Crude birth rate (per 1000 population) 51.3

Early ( 7 d) neonatal mortality rate (per 1000 live births) 70.2

Neonatal mortality rate (0 – 4 weeks) (per 1000 live births) 121

Stillbirth rate (per 1000 live births) 70

Maternal mortality ratio (per 100.000 live births) 820 (Estimated range: 300 – 1700)

Lifetime risk of maternal death 1 in 15

Low Birth Weight (%) 20 %

Coverage of Antenatal Care (%) 8 %

Births attended by trained personnel (%) 8 %

Institutional deliveries (% of live births) n.a.

Unsafe abortion n.a.

Anaemia in pregnant women (%) n.a.

Coverage of tetanus vaccination (% of pregnant women) 20 %

STDs, including HIV/AIDS

There are no existing prevalence data on HIV/AIDS and STDs in this population

Family planning

Contraceptive prevalence (% of women 15 – 49) 2 % (1972-1973)

Among Afghan refugee women in Pakistan, 2000:

Currently using Family Planning 10 %

Contraceptive method mix

Injection 68 %

Pill 17 %

IUD 2 %

Other (including natural methods) 13 %

Other

There is no information on the incidence of sexual and gender-based violence

Existing training materials for Safe Motherhood for the peripheral level may be obtained from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences

Summary of recent reproductive health programs in Afghanistan and Pakistan refugee situations*

In Afghanistan

UNFPA: IFRC was funded by UNFPA in 1998-99 to undertake RH programmes in Afghanistan.

In Pakistan

UNHCR with UNFPA funds has been implementing a RH capacity building programme.

IRC and Marie Stopes are very active in RH in the Peshawar area.

Current preparedness for RH*

UNFPA may preposition RH kits in the region.

UNHCR is calculating needs and liasing with UNFPA.

*These items will be updated as more information becomes available

Main sources for data

Total population, women of reproductive age, under-five year old

United Nations Population Division

Total fertility rate, crude birth rate

United Nations Population Division

Maternal mortality, lifetime risk

World Health Organization (WHO)

Neonatal mortality, still birth rate and low birth weight

Unpublished revised estimates, World Health Organization (WHO)

Coverage of antenatal care, skilled attendants

World Health Organization (WHO)

Contraceptive prevalence

United Nations Population Division

Contraceptive prevalence among Afghan refugees in Pakistan

B. Tomczyk et. al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Tetanus immunization

World Health Organization (WHO)

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Wilma Doedens/WHO/RHR/21-09-01