Key facts
- US foreign aid cuts have resulted in increased maternal and infant deaths in Nepal.
- The cuts led to the closure of nutrition and reproductive outreach programs.
- These programs provided supplements, food, equipment, medicine, and trained health workers.
- Health workers report a significant increase in maternal deaths during delivery.
- Newborn deaths have also risen in affected villages.
- Many deaths may go uncounted due to the closure of data collection efforts.
The United States' decision to significantly reduce foreign aid has been directly linked to a rise in maternal and infant deaths in Nepal, according to an Associated Press report. The cuts, implemented by the Trump administration, led to the dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development's maternal and child health programs in the country.
These programs were crucial, providing essential nutrition supplements and food to impoverished pregnant women, and equipping birthing centers with necessary medical supplies and staff. Outreach workers regularly visited homes, educating women on potential complications and encouraging prenatal appointments. One such program reached 100,000 women and girls in its first three years.
Health workers and government officials in Nepal report a stark increase in maternal deaths during delivery, with expected annual figures occurring in much shorter timeframes. The closure of these programs has made it difficult for many pregnant women to access adequate nutrition and navigate the healthcare system, leading to delayed identification of complications and subsequent emergencies.
Newborn deaths have also seen a concerning rise in affected villages. In Prempur Gonahi, for instance, neonatal deaths began occurring again after the U.S. cuts, reversing a period of zero deaths following the implementation of a CARE program. The full extent of the impact is difficult to ascertain, as many deaths linked to the funding cuts may go unrecorded due to job losses among mortality data collectors.
The report highlights the plight of women like Kabita Mukhiya, a 20-year-old who died along with her unborn baby from complications of eclampsia and anemia. These conditions, often manageable with regular prenatal care, were exacerbated by the lack of access to nutrition supplements and the absence of outreach workers who could have identified the warning signs and facilitated timely medical intervention.