Nepal maternal and infant mortality increases following loss of US aid, according to health officials

August 13, 2026 - 09:30

Health officials in Nepal say the country is facing a serious setback in maternal and child health, with pregnancy complications and death rates climbing since the United States drastically reduced its foreign aid last year. The trend marks a reversal of years of steady progress in one of South Asia's poorest nations.

According to local health workers and government data, hospitals in rural areas are running out of essential supplies like oxytocin, a drug used to prevent postpartum bleeding. Many clinics have also had to stop free prenatal checkups and emergency transport services for pregnant women, which were previously funded by US programs such as USAID. As a result, more women are giving birth at home without skilled attendants, and infant mortality has ticked upward in several districts.

The US decision to cut aid was part of a broader review of foreign spending, but the impact on Nepal has been immediate and severe. Before the cuts, Nepal had reduced its maternal mortality ratio by nearly 70 percent over two decades, a success story often cited by global health experts. Now, officials fear those gains could be wiped out within a few years.

Doctors in Kathmandu's main maternity hospital report a 30 percent increase in emergency admissions for severe bleeding and infections. In remote mountain regions, the situation is worse, with some villages reporting no access to a trained birth attendant for the first time in a decade.

The Nepali government has pledged to fill the funding gap, but its health budget is already stretched thin. International charities are stepping in where they can, but they say the scale of the need is far beyond what they can cover. Without renewed support, health officials warn that the coming monsoon season, when road access becomes even harder, could bring another spike in preventable deaths.