By Nadia Akseer, Arjumand Rizvi, Zaid Bhatti, et al., JAMA Network Open, November 8, 2019
Key Points
Question: Is conflict severity associated with the performance of health systems and population health outcomes in Afghanistan during the 2003 to 2018 reconstruction period?
Findings: In this survey study of 64 815 women in Afghanistan, notable health and health system improvements were made despite increasing conflict after 2010. However, regions with greater conflict had lower gains in contraceptive use, skilled birth attendance, and child vaccination and increased child wasting, as well as poor health facility infrastructure, client background and physical assessments, and health care professionals’ knowledge level.
Meaning: These findings suggest that efforts to improve contraceptive use, measles vaccination, and functioning health service infrastructure should be prioritized in provinces of Afghanistan that experience severe conflict.
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