Mother and Child Care

Afghanistan: MSF warns of local restrictions affecting women’s access to healthcare in Herat

by

Herat, Afghanistan, 7 November 2025- Since 5 November, local restrictions have been implemented in Herat province requiring female patients, caretakers, and staff to wear a burqa to enter public health facilities, including at Herat hospital. This sudden enforcement adds limitations to their participation in everyday life and puts additional barriers that affect women’s ability to … Read more

Somalia: Free healthcare offers a lifeline to mothers and children in Mudug region

by

When Fatima Abdi Ali, 32, experienced life‑threatening complications in her seventh pregnancy, she and her husband travelled more than 125 kilometres, crossing from Ethiopia to reach Mudug Regional Hospital in Galkayo North. It was the nearest facility equipped for such an emergency. On arrival, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams performed an urgent caesarean … Read more

Yemen: MSF hands over the mother and child hospital in Taiz Houban after a decade of lifesaving care

by

Taiz Houban, Yemen- Since 2015, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has operated the mother and child hospital in Al-Houban, Taiz governorate — one of the few facilities providing free, high-quality healthcare in a region deeply affected by more than a decade-long conflict. At the end of July 2025, after 10 years of service, MSF officially … Read more

Somalia: Funding gaps and barriers to access undermine healthcare for women and children

by

When Aisha* began haemorrhaging, experiencing heavy, potentially life-threatening bleeding, just ten days after giving birth to twins at home in Diinsoor district, her family feared the worst. The hospital where she had safely delivered her previous children was no longer operational. With limited healthcare available in their community, her husband urgently borrowed money and drove … Read more

World Breastfeeding Week: Nurturing hope amid migration challenges in Latin America

by

“I’ve breastfed him throughout the entire migration route,” says María*, a 34-year-old Venezuelan mother traveling with her two children. Their journey began in Peru, where her youngest son was born two years ago, and continued through Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Maria is now a patient at the Doctors Without … Read more

Syria: Obstacles to maternity care shatter women’s hopes for a safe pregnancy

by

The 13-year-long war in Syria, the earthquake in February 2023 and the lack of international support to rebuild healthcare infrastructure have deprived pregnant women and new mothers of their most fundamental right of access to adequate and dignified maternity care, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. This basic right is becoming elusive for pregnant women and … Read more

Pakistan: MSF’s mother and child healthcare services in Balochistan – A lifeline for families

by

“Eight of my nine children were born here, and my daughter-in-law delivered her five children in this very hospital. It’s part of who we are,” says Zarlast, her eyes gleaming with pride as she sits beside her daughter-in-law Zarnasha, both dressed in traditional Pakhtoon attire, adorned with a long, colorful shawl and a set of … Read more

To eat or feed my child? A mother’s dilemma in Yemen

by

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) expresses profound concern over the alarming rise in malnutrition cases among mothers in Yemen over the past two years. The situation reflects the dire humanitarian crisis facing the country, exacerbated by protracted conflict, economic instability, and diminished access to essential services. The story of Mayasa, a mother grappling with the relentless … Read more

Afghanistan: MSF’s new project aims to fill critical gaps in the provision of paediatric and neonatal care

by

“I really don’t know the pain she’s going through, but I am here with her hoping she gets better soon,” says Farida, the mother of nine-month-old Hadia. For two days, Hadia has refused to eat anything, even her favourite fruit, bananas. Her mother took her to several health facilities and doctors, but her condition never … Read more

Helping tackle malnutrition and malaria in Angola

by

Malnutrition and malaria are common in remote communities in Angola, especially during peaks of drought and heavy rain. Women and their children are most affected. For the last year, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has collaborated with local health authorities to reduce the burden of these diseases in the provinces of Huíla and Benguela. … Read more