Help cuts threaten fragile progress in reducing mothers’ deaths, warned UN officials

Cuts in international aid budgets threaten to overthrow decades in reducing mothers’ deaths and can lead to an increase in deaths that can be prevented during pregnancy and childbirth, United Nations Organizations warned on Monday.

The warning came as the UN published a new report on World Health Day, showing a 40% global reduction in maternal mortality between 2000 and 2023, largely guided by improving access to basic health services. But officials say progress is now in danger.

The report, the trends in maternal mortality, revealed that about 260,000 women died of pregnancy or childbirth complications in 2023 – equivalent to one death every two minutes.

UN health leaders said that unprecedented help cuts are already affecting the mother’s care, especially in fragile and complete areas. Many countries have begun to raise services, close facilities and lose health workers due to funding shortages.

“One of the head messages is that funding reduces the risk not only this progress, but we could have a backward shift,” said Dr. Bruce Aylward, assistant general manager for universal health coverage at the World Health Organization (who).

The report did not name specific donors, but comes amid foreign aid freezing from the United States and a wind turbine several USAID funded health programs. Other great donors, including the United Kingdom, have also reduced their international growth budgets in recent years.

“These cuts have a pandemic -like impact on world health systems,” Aylward said, warning that structural damage could be long -term.

The WHO said that the health services of mothers, newborn and children have already been transformed into certain countries, with ripple effects on the whole treatment for malaria, HIV virus and other conditions that affect maternal survival.

“While this report shows Glimmers of Hope, the data also emphasizes how dangerous pregnancy is still in much of the world today-despite the fact that there are solutions,” said General Manager Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The report marks the first global evaluation of Covid-19’s impact on maternal mortality. In 2021, maternal deaths increased to 322,000 – an increase of 40,000 since the previous year. The spike was linked to both the immediate complications of Covid-19 and to the widespread disorders in maternity care during the pandemic.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that global health budget cuts abandon pregnant women without real care when needed more.

“When a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth, her baby’s life is also at risk. Very often, both are lost in the reasons we know how to prevent, “he said.

Maternal mortality remains disproportionately high in countries affected by war, poverty or natural disasters. Sub -Saharan Africa represents almost 70% of the mother’s world deaths, with countries such as Chad, Nigeria, Somalia and Afghanistan to face higher individual risk interest rates.

In some of these arrangements, the risk of life of death by a mother cause is 1 in 24. This compares to 1 in 593 in more stable countries.

The report also underlined that the parent mortality rate has been stood in five UN areas since 2015, including Europe and North America, where the US is one of only four countries that record a significant increase since 2000.

Despite the previous progress, the global rate of improvement has slowed down since 2016. Experts say that investments are urgently required to meet the UN Sustainable Development Objective for Mother’s Health.

To hit the 2030 target, maternal mortality must be reduced by about 15% per year – a sharp climb from the current annual 1.5% improvement rate.

“Access to quality parent health services is a right, not a privilege,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). “We need to ensure that every woman and baby can survive and thrive – especially in the most vulnerable settings.”