Nepal sees spike in maternal deaths after US aid withdrawal
Maternal and infant deaths are rising in Nepal following the end of US-funded health programs, with officials reporting fatalities within months that were expected over a year.
In the rural village of Gaur, near Nepal's border with India, the death of 20-year-old Kabita Mukhiya and her unborn child has become a stark symbol of a wider crisis. Mukhiya, who was 28 weeks pregnant, died from complications related to eclampsia and severe anemia. Her family says she did not recognize the warning signs of her condition, as she had no access to the outreach workers who had previously guided women through their pregnancies.
Those workers were part of a reproductive health and nutrition program that reached over 100,000 women and girls across Nepal in its first three years. The initiative was shuttered after the United States cut its funding. Health officials and local families say the program's absence is now being felt in rising mortality figures.
Mona Sherpa of CARE Nepal noted that the expected number of maternal deaths for an entire year is now occurring within just four to six months. Community health worker Rajkumari Patel points to a deeper issue of poverty and lack of education, stating that financial constraints prevent families from seeking knowledge and care.
Mukhiya leaves behind three young children, now being cared for by their aunt while their father travels for work. The U.S. State Department has said it continues to support maternal and child health programs in Nepal, but those on the ground say the loss of this specific initiative has created a dangerous gap in care for the country's most vulnerable women.