A study in Herat province concludes that the extraordinarily high number of deaths of women during pregnancy and childbirth are largely preventable. They are a direct consequence of the very young marriage age for women and girls (according to UNIFEM, 54% of girls under the age of 18 are married),12 poor health and nutrition, too-frequent childbearing, and virtually no access to gynecological and obstetrical Small, anemic mothers with undeveloped pelvic bones are at greater risk of obstructed births with devastating consequences for both mother and baby, and they may not withstand pregnancy or the usual blood loss during delivery. Other studies similarly point out that 40%.
