Table 1.
Progress against selected key health indicators for Afghanistan, 2003–2010
| Indicator | 2003 (UNICEF) | 2006 (AHS) | 2008 (NRVA) | 2010 (AMS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant mortality rate | 165 per 1000 live births 115 (MICS) |
129 per 1000 live births | 111 per 1000 live births | 77 per 1000 live births |
| Under 5 mortality rate | 257 per 1000 live births 172 (MICS) |
194 per 1000 live births | 161 per 1000 live births | 97 per 1000 live births |
| Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) | 1600 per 100 000 live births | Not available | Not available | 372a per 100 000 live births |
| Antenatal care coverage | 16% MICS and UNICEF | 32% | 62% (AMS) 36% (NRVA)b |
68% |
| Deliveries by skilled birth attendants | 14% MICS and UNICEF | 19% | 24% | 34% |
| Full immunization coverage | 15% | 27% | 37% | Not available |
| Access to primary health services (within 1 or 2 h using normal mode of transport) | 9% (distance in hours not specified) | 66% (within 2 h) | 85% (within 1 h) | 90% (goal) |
Sources: Afghanistan Mortality Survey (AMS) 2010, National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA) 2007/8, Afghanistan Health Survey (AHS) 2006, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2003, UNICEF State of the World's Children 2005.
aThe figure announced officially by MoPH is 327out of 100 000 live births. However, the latter is the unadjusted MMR. Moreover, there has been a lot of debate about this figure and its comparability with the MMR from 2003 because these two surveys are based on different sample sizes, geographical coverage and study methodologies.
bThese two figures show the discrepancy between sources and, hence, the challenge in digging for reliable data.