The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has held a meeting with the Chain of Hope Organization (CDE) regarding maternal and child health and obstetric and gynecological services, without the presence of female health workers.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health wrote on its X page on Thursday, May 7, 2026, that Noor Jalal Jalali, the group’s Minister of Public Health, met and held discussions in Kabul with Antoine Doutemple, Director General of the Chain of Hope Organization (CDE), and his accompanying delegation.
During the meeting, discussions and exchanges of views took place regarding maternal and child health services and support for emergency obstetric and gynecological services.
However, the absence of even a single female specialist or staff member from the maternal and child health department of the Ministry of Public Health at a meeting directly related to services for women and children has drawn attention and criticism.
The exclusion of women from discussions and decision-making about their own health and that of their children is not only blatant discrimination and systematic deprivation, but it also amounts to gambling with the health of the entire society.
This situation could negatively affect the quality of health services, particularly in the area of maternal and child health.
Making decisions about matters related to women’s health without their presence effectively means ignoring the real needs of this segment of society.
This comes as the Taliban, after retaking control of Afghanistan, imposed restrictions on the work and education of women in various sectors, particularly in the health sector and the provision of health services.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had also previously warned that the continuation of restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment in Afghanistan could leave the country facing a shortage of more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030.
