The United States’ decision to slash its foreign aid program has resulted in a significant increase in deaths of pregnant women and unborn babies in Nepal, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Impact of Funding Cuts

The funding cuts, which were made by the Trump administration, have decimated nutrition programs for millions of pregnant women and children, leaving scores of birthing centers devoid of equipment, medicine, and staff. The cuts have also forced 60 percent of women’s organizations to reduce their services, according to the World Health Organization.

In Nepal, the funding cuts eliminated nutrition programs that provided supplements and food items to impoverished pregnant women, and closed a program that equipped birthing centers and trained nurses, midwives, and outreach workers. These workers regularly visited pregnant women’s homes, explained the warning signs of complications, and urged them to attend prenatal appointments, often escorting them there.

Consequences of Program Closures

The program closures have meant that many pregnant women have found it difficult to adequately feed themselves, and have been left to navigate a medical system they struggle to trust or understand. As a result, pregnant women aren’t identifying complications fast enough, leading to emergencies, health workers and government officials say.

The number of deaths of mothers and unborn babies during delivery has increased significantly, according to Mona Sherpa, country director for the aid group CARE Nepal, which lost more than half its funding from the US cuts.

Babies have also increasingly died since the program closures. In the village of Prempur Gonahi, for example, it took just 10 months for newborns to begin dying again after the US cuts.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.