Maternal health is in crisis—and aid cuts are making it worse
Every two minutes, a life is lost
Every two minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. That’s more than 700 lives lost every single day—and according to a new UN report, things could get worse before they get better.
Even after two decades of progress, the momentum has slowed. Between 2000 and 2023, global maternal deaths dropped by 40%. But since 2016, improvements have stalled, and last year alone saw an estimated 260,000 women die due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth. It’s a sobering reminder that giving birth is still dangerous in many parts of the world.
The Trends in Maternal Mortality report was published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, in observance of World Health Day on April 7. The findings paint a grim picture of how stalled funding and global instability are reversing years of gains.
Aid cuts and fragile systems
Aid cuts—especially the halting of USAID funding—are making it harder for countries to keep life-saving programs going. Add to that ongoing conflicts, crumbling infrastructure, and fragile health systems, and you have a lethal combination. Frontline workers are under enormous pressure, and in conflict zones like Sudan, the risks are even higher.
In these settings, essential maternal care is vanishing. The USAID cuts are leading to the rollback of critical services, the closure of clinics, and the breakdown of medical supply chains. This makes complications during pregnancy and childbirth far more deadly.
Global impact of the USAID cuts
Despite a 40% decline in maternal deaths between 2000 and 2023, recent aid reductions threaten to undo those hard-won gains. The World Health Organization has warned that these cuts could have “pandemic-like effects” on health systems. In 2023 alone, approximately 260,000 women died from pregnancy or childbirth complications. Without renewed funding, that number could rise.
Countries are already being forced to shut down maternal, newborn, and child health services. Clinics are closing. Health workers are losing their jobs. Supply chains for vital treatments—like those used for hemorrhage or pre-eclampsia—are breaking down.
Solutions in need of funding
More investment in midwives, nurses, and community health workers is crucial. Reproductive rights must be strengthened. Women need better access to family planning. Health systems must be equipped to function even during crises. And girls must be able to stay in school so they have greater control over their futures.
These aren’t radical ideas—they’re basic solutions that have already saved millions of lives. What’s needed now is the political will and financial backing to keep them going.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus put it plainly: “Pregnancy is still dangerous in much of the world today—even though we already know how to prevent most of these deaths.”
Impact on contraceptive access and unsafe abortions
The ripple effects of the USAID cuts go beyond childbirth. The termination of funding for family planning programs could affect nearly 50 million women by cutting off their access to contraception. Without this support, an estimated 34,000 women could die each year from preventable maternal causes.
There’s also concern about a rise in unsafe abortions. These already account for 13% of maternal deaths worldwide, and cuts to reproductive health services will likely make that worse.
This is about rights—not privilege
UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem said it best: this is about rights, not privilege. When a mother dies, the impact ripples through families, communities, and entire societies.
Nearly two-thirds of maternal deaths now happen in countries facing conflict or fragility. These are not just statistics. They’re women with names, families, and futures—cut short by circumstances they cannot control.
Meanwhile, the new UN report shows that progress is possible. But it also makes one thing clear: pulling back on aid now could erase years of progress in just a short span of time. And that’s a cost the world simply can’t afford.
Source: UN News
Category: Top Story
