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According to alarming global statistics, a woman succumbs every two minutes due to failings in maternal healthcare systems. This distressing trend has raised urgent concerns over the recent reductions in aid funding from the United States and the United Kingdom.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a report indicating that there were approximately 260,000 maternal deaths in 2023, translating to 712 deaths per day or about 30 per hour, predominantly occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
The WHO cautions that the global goal set by all UN member states to lower maternal mortality rates to 71 per 100,000 by 2030 is likely to be missed by a wide margin, as the advancement made in this area seems to have halted.
Prominent health organizations, including the WHO, have expressed serious concerns regarding recent substantial cuts to international aid from the US government, which has seen a reduction of over £595 million ($770 million) allocated for maternal health and family planning initiatives. Such reductions threaten to reverse progress made in decreasing maternal fatalities, which are defined as deaths related to or worsened by pregnancy or within six weeks following a pregnancy.
In a press briefing, Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO’s assistant director general for universal health coverage, emphasized the detrimental implications of these funding cuts, stating, “The funding cuts risk not only the progress that has been achieved, but could also lead to significant setbacks.” He highlighted that these reductions have already begun to affect the availability of essential supplies, medications, and treatments for leading causes of maternal mortality.
Dr. Aylward further illustrated the situation, noting that some countries are already responding by laying off healthcare workers or halting new hiring. “This scenario raises genuine concerns,” he said.
Approximately 60 nations rely on US-funded maternal care programs and family planning services, with a notable concentration in Africa and South Asia. These initiatives are crucial in supporting midwives in regions where access to essential maternal care is critically lacking. It has been reported that the termination of USAID contracts has resulted in some midwives losing their livelihoods, thus compromising safe maternal care during pregnancy.
The concern over funding cuts is not limited to the US. In February, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer revealed plans to reduce the country’s aid spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income by 2027, amounting to a £6 billion cut aimed at bolstering defense expenditure.
This announcement followed a warning from the UK’s International Development Committee, which stated that reductions in UK aid have already had a “devastating” effect on women and girls, particularly in countries like Sudan where young girls face a higher risk of dying in childbirth than completing their education. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who leads the IDC, remarked, “I am deeply alarmed that these cuts will severely impact women’s health and undo the progress that has been painstakingly achieved globally.”
Champion insisted that “Preventing maternal fatalities is not an insurmountable challenge; there is a need for political commitment and financial backing to eliminate these deaths. Ensuring the right to safe pregnancy and childbirth necessitates ongoing improvements in care quality, which must be supported by adequate funding and favorable regulations… Weak health systems, coupled with new and ongoing humanitarian crises, have led to stagnant, and even regressive outcomes in several regions.”
Sub-Saharan Africa and India experience highest mortality rates
The WHO’s new data indicates that in West Africa, one in 36 girls aged 15 faces the risk of maternal death, in stark contrast to the one in 16,000 risk among their counterparts in Southern Europe.
Since the year 2000, there has been a 40% decline in global maternal mortality rates, dropping from 328 per 100,000 live births to 197 in 2023. However, these figures reflect marked disparities between high-income and low-income countries.
Dr. Pascale Allotey, director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the WHO, cautioned, “Despite the progress made since 2000, the rate of improvement has hit a near standstill. In some areas, we are witnessing a decline instead of advancement. In this fragile context, complacency is not just unwise; it is lethal… It is inexcusable and preventable for women to die based on their geographical locations, income levels, or the denial of their rights.”
The report indicates that half of all maternal deaths in 2023 occurred in Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan, with Nigeria being responsible for one in three of these fatalities, totaling around 75,000 deaths. Alarmingly, 70% of maternal deaths were concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is pivotal in promoting women’s reproductive health on a global scale, has also sounded the alarm that recent funding cuts from the US may lead to a rise in maternal death rates.
UNFPA estimates that £71 million ($92 million) of US aid is allocated to Nigeria, the country with the highest maternal death rates. Following USAID funding cuts, the UNFPA itself has seen a reduction of £291 million ($377 million) in grants.
Julia Bunting, UNFPA program director, stressed that while there has been global progress in reducing maternal fatalities, it is inadequate. She stated, “While we acknowledge the 40% reduction in maternal death rates since 2000, the issue is that progress is uneven and continues to slow.”
Bunting emphasized, “These lives can be saved… It transcends health; it is a matter of rights and justice. Every woman should have the right to survive childbirth… We possess the knowledge to prevent these deaths; with skilled midwives, quality healthcare, and political will, many lives can be saved, but urgent investment is needed to avoid losing the gains we have already made.”
Despite facing cuts to its USAID funding, Monica Ferro, representing UNFPA in London, confirmed that the organization has not yet experienced reductions in funding from the UK, its second-largest donor.
However, she alerted that “the convergence of funding cuts, escalating conflicts, and the repercussions of climate change mean that pregnant women are increasingly unable to access essential care, while gender-based violence continues to rise. We cannot forsake the women and girls who are most in need of our support.”
The Cabinet Office was invited to provide comments on this pressing issue.
A spokesperson from the Foreign Office stated: “We are dedicated to upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights and will maintain our collaboration with global partners in support of women and girls.”
They continued, “Aid is merely one avenue through which we contribute to this objective, and we will persist in utilizing targeted funding and diplomatic engagement to lead efforts on gender issues and maternal health. While protecting our national security forms the foundation of any government’s responsibility, it has necessitated the challenging yet essential decision to curtail our aid expenditures.”
A spokesperson from the US State Department reiterated the US government’s enduring support for critical maternal and child health services in lower-income nations, where over 90% of maternal and child deaths occur.
This report is a component of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid initiative.
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