Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC): A way forward to improve Afghanistan's utilisation of maternity care

In Afghanistan, maternal mortality and infant mortality - two key indicators of population health - are among the highest in the developing world, partly because of nearly a half-century of conflict and persistent socioeconomic instability [1]. The latest data in 2017 show that Afghanistan's maternal mortality ratio (638 per 100,000 live births) and infant mortality rate (36 per 1,000 live births) are much higher than other countries with comparable economic development [1]. Poor health infrastructure, political upheaval, reductions in donor funding and corresponding disruptions in health services, insecurity, climate change, and escalating humanitarian crises further intensify these issues [1].