A mother’s pain turns to relief through timely referral

Kandahar, Afghanistan – Fatima, 25, was in terrible pain and growing weaker by the hour. Her fever was high, her abdomen ached sharply, and every step was a struggle. Alarmed by her worsening condition, her family knew she needed urgent help.

They quickly took her to the local family health house, supported by UNFPA, hoping she could receive the care that might save both her life and her baby’s.

Zia, the midwife on duty, remembers the moment vividly. “She was burning with fever and suffering from severe abdominal pain,” she recalls. “This was not normal pregnancy pain.”

The midwife and her team cared for Fatima as best as they could. They gave her medicine to reduce the fever, relieved her pain, and counseled her family on how to care for her at home. For a brief moment, there was hope. But that hope quickly faded.

Two days later, Fatima returned, this time weaker than before, her fever higher, and her pain unbearable. “The moment I saw her,” Zia says, “I knew she could not wait another day. Her condition had become dangerous, and we needed to act fast.” Without hesitation, Zia and her team referred Fatima to the nearest hospital, where she could receive the advanced treatment she urgently needed.

The decision saved her life. After several days of treatment at the hospital, Fatima’s fever broke, her pain eased, and her strength began to return. When she came back to the family health house and met Zia for a follow-up visit, she was transformed, her face no longer filled with fear but with relief and quiet joy.

“I thought I would lose my baby,” Fatima says. “We are poor and cannot afford to travel far, but this clinic cared for me like family. When I became worse, they did not leave me alone; they sent me where I could be saved.”

During her last visit, Fatima also received counseling on birth spacing. With the midwife’s guidance, she chose a method that worked best for her and protected her health as she prepared to welcome her baby with peace of mind.

For the Zia, the experience was both difficult and rewarding.

“We cannot always solve everything in our small clinic,” Zia admitted, “but we can recognize danger in time and make sure no mother is left without help. Seeing Fatima smile again, knowing her baby is safe, that is the greatest reward for me.”

With UNFPA’s support, the Charband Family Health House continues to provide a lifeline for women like Fatima, ensuring that even in the most remote corners of Afghanistan, no mother faces danger alone.