# USAID cuts linked to rising maternal, newborn deaths in Nepal 2026-08-13T20:17:11+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet US foreign aid cuts are causing a sharp rise in pregnancy complications and newborn deaths in Nepal, an Associated Press investigation has found. A $35-million USAID programme that had reached over 100,000 women and girls was cancelled, halting prenatal care, nutrition support and trained midwife visits in poor regions. In Rautahat district, prenatal check-ups have fallen by half. One village that had eliminated newborn deaths by 2024 recorded five deaths within months of the cuts. Wasting in under-five children jumped from 7.4 per cent to 12.3 per cent in one province. The death of 28-week pregnant Kabita Mukhiya, who had severe anaemia and eclampsia, was linked to the loss of community health worker visits. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com Tags: foreign aid, maternal mortality, Nepal health, newborn deaths, nutrition crisis, USAID cuts Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/usaid-cuts-linked-to-rising-maternal-newborn-deaths-in-nepal/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/usaid-cuts-linked-to-rising-maternal-newborn-deaths-in-nepal/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.