Now Reading: USAID cuts linked to rising maternal, newborn deaths in Nepal
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USAID cuts linked to rising maternal, newborn deaths in Nepal
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…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
The usual Washington-versus-others blame game misses the real test: what happens to Nepali mothers and children in the next year. Instead of trading charges, both the US and global donors should publish the exact funding numbers and mortality data for each district. Until then, this remains a political claim backed by anecdotes, not a settled fact.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
