AThe United States’ decision to reduce foreign aid has disrupted maternal and child healthcare programmes in Nepal, with health workers, government officials and families reporting a rise in pregnancy complications and newborn deaths, according to an Associated Press investigation.

The cuts have affected programmes providing prenatal care, nutritional support, trained healthcare workers and community outreach in some of Nepal’s poorest regions. Aid workers say the disruption has left vulnerable pregnant women without the guidance they previously received at home and at local health centres.

Aid Programmes Were A Lifeline

A five-year US-funded programme worth $35 million had reached more than 100,000 women and girls during its first three years. It supported birthing centres, trained nurses and midwives, and relied on female community health volunteers to visit pregnant women in remote villages.

These workers helped women recognise warning signs, attend prenatal appointments and seek emergency treatment when necessary.

After the programme was cancelled, many of those services disappeared. In one birthing centre in Rautahat district, officials said the number of women attending prenatal check-ups had fallen by half.

Newborn Deaths Reportedly Rising

Health workers have also reported a return of neonatal deaths in areas where such fatalities had previously declined.

In the village of Prempur Gonahi, an official said the community had recorded between 10 and 15 newborn deaths annually before the US-supported programme began. By 2024, records showed no neonatal deaths. Following the cancellation of the programme, however, five newborn deaths were reported within several months.

Officials warn that the actual number could be higher because mortality monitoring systems were also affected by the funding cuts.

Nutrition Support Hit Hard

Nutrition programmes have also suffered. Pregnant women who previously received nutritional supplements were left without the same support after funding was withdrawn.

In one province, the prevalence of wasting among children under five reportedly increased from 7.4 per cent before the cuts to 12.3 per cent afterwards, according to government and aid agency data.

Kabita Mukhiya‘s Death

The consequences are illustrated by the case of Kabita Mukhiya, a young mother from rural Nepal who died while 28 weeks pregnant.

Kabita had suffered severe anaemia and eventually developed complications linked to eclampsia. Her family did not fully understand the warning signs or the urgency of seeking treatment. A community health worker later said regular home visits could potentially have identified the symptoms much earlier.

Kabita’s death left behind three young children.

US Defends Aid Policy

The US State Department said Washington continues to support maternal and child health programmes in Nepal and argued that other countries should contribute more to global health assistance.

However, health experts warn that years of progress in reducing maternal and child deaths could be reversed if essential healthcare and nutrition programmes remain underfunded.