Policy and Structural Drivers of Malnutrition in Afghan Women: Evidence and Interventions

Background: The nutritional status of women in Afghanistan has deteriorated to critical levels, representing a critical public health issue and a failure of both national and international policy frameworks. This review’s novel contribution is the integration of gender policy analysis with geopolitical aid dynamics to explain maternal malnutrition a perspective largely absent from prior nutrition reviews in Afghanistan. Methods: This non-systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed articles and grey literature (UN, NGO, and major health organization reports) published after 2021 to characterize the epidemiology, determinants, and consequences of malnutrition among Afghan women, while critically evaluating the policy landscape. Results: The crisis stems from three convergent failures: economic collapse causing food shortages; Taliban restrictions on women’s education, healthcare, and work, and suspension of development aid, which has shuttered hundreds of health facilities. The novel contribution is the integration of gender policy analysis with geopolitical aid dynamics to explain maternal malnutrition. Conclusion: Pathways forward require a paradigm shift: de-linking humanitarian nutrition assistance from political recognition of the Taliban, while investing in community-based, women-led health delivery models that circumvent access barriers. This review provides a comprehensive analysis for policymakers, humanitarian actors, and researchers to forge evidence-based interventions.