Women's Health and Human Rights in Afghanistan

A report by
Physicians for Human Rights

October 2001

Current conditions:
  • Afghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates (152/1000) and one of the highest child mortality rates (257/1000) in the world
  • A woman's life expectancy is 44 years.
  • Malnutrition affects up to 52 percent of children under age 5

 

  • As of March 2001, there were 2.6 million Afghan refugees, 1.4 million in Iran, 1.2 million in Pakistan
  • As of September 2001, those numbers had increased to 3.7 million, 2 million in Pakistan and 1.5 million in Iran
  • Three-quarters of those refugees are women and children

 

the study