Aid Cuts Reverse Health Gains as Nepal Village Sees Newborn Deaths Return

Global reductions in foreign aid are threatening to undo decades of progress in maternal and child health, with experts warning that 2025 could see the first rise in child mortality this century.

In one village in Nepal's Gaur region, a U.S.-funded health initiative had successfully brought neonatal deaths down to zero. But after the program was cancelled, health services quickly disappeared, and within months, newborns were dying once again.

The situation illustrates the fragility of health gains in low-income communities that depend on international support. The loss of services has been sudden and severe, leaving mothers and infants without access to the care that had recently been saving lives.

Health workers and local families now face an uncertain future as funding gaps widen. The reversal in this village serves as a stark example of how quickly progress can be undone when essential programs are withdrawn.

A photo gallery accompanying this story documents the impact on mothers and children in the region, showing the human cost of the funding crisis.