CEI delivers life-saving health and nutrition services in Afghanistan’s collapsing health landscape through mobile outreach, maternal and child healthcare, MHPSS, nutrition rehabilitation, WASH, and capacity building—to reduce preventable deaths and strengthen community resilience.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises, with its health and well-being sector under immense and growing strain. Decades of conflict, political instability, natural disasters, and economic collapse have severely weakened the country’s health system. The situation has worsened considerably following a sharp reduction in international donor support—particularly the suspension of USAID funding—which has led to the closure of hundreds of health facilities and cut off essential services for millions. In April 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a stark warning that Afghanistan’s health system is critically underfunded, placing countless lives at risk. Vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and those living in remote areas, are disproportionately affected, many now having no access to basic medical care. Maternal and child health outcomes in Afghanistan are among the worst in the world. Reports estimate that 24 mothers and 167 infants die every day from preventable causes. This crisis is further exacerbated by policies such as the Taliban’s requirement that women be accompanied by a male escort when seeking care—barriers that have directly contributed to preventable maternal and infant deaths. At the same time, the suspension of midwifery and nursing education programs poses a long-term threat to health service delivery, especially in rural and underserved areas where trained professionals are already scarce.
In response, CEI embraces a targeted, multi-tiered package of health and nutrition interventions:
- Mobile Health Services: Deploy mobile teams to provide antenatal care, child immunizations, acute illness management, and referrals in underserved rural districts.
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH): Deliver home-based counseling, safe delivery kits, and postnatal visits via trained female community health workers, prioritizing areas with high maternal and infant mortality.
- Nutrition Services and Community Engagement: CEI establishes community-based treatment sites to manage cases of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), ensuring timely and accessible care within local communities. Children identified with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are promptly referred to nearby functional health facilities for specialized treatment. In parallel, CEI provides tailored nutrition support and one-on-one counseling for pregnant and lactating women to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
- Capacity Building and Integrated Nutrition Education: To strengthen local capacity, CEI trains community health workers, caregivers, and school staff in Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA), Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), and the Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) approach. These efforts ensure early detection, proper feeding practices, and improved nutrition awareness. Additionally, CEI integrates key nutrition messages across its WASH, health, and protection interventions to promote a holistic and sustained approach to community well-being.
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Train frontline staff in psychological first aid and facilitate women’s and youth peer support groups to reduce stigma and improve well-being.
- WASH and Disease Prevention: Promote handwashing, distribute hygiene kits, and restore water points in displacement sites and disaster-affected communities to curb disease outbreaks.
Through gender-sensitive, locally rooted health teams, in close coordination with communities and existing health actors, CEI aims to restore access to essential health services, reduce preventable deaths, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen community resilience in Afghanistan’s most fragile settings.
