Cuts to foreign aid have dominated global health headlines over the past three months, and for good reason: the ripple effects on health systems in aid-dependent countries are both far-reaching and severe.
Just days after the US made the shock decision to pause its aid funding, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his government would reduce the UK's aid spending from 0.5 per cent of national income to 0.3 per cent by 2027 – a cut of around £6 billion – to fund increased defence spending.
In the same week, a stark new report from the World Health Organisation revealed there were 260,000 maternal deaths in 2023. That's 712 women a day, or 30 every hour. The vast majority occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
Most of you reading Health Check are based in the UK, but we do not live in a vacuum and the death of every mother and unborn baby, no matter where in the world, has significance. A central warning from WHO officials was the devastating impact these foreign aid cuts are likely to have on maternity services in lower-income countries, many of which are heavily reliant on development funding to keep basic health services running.
One of the first things to go when aid is slashed, I've been told by experts, is healthcare staff. When governments are forced to tighten budgets, it's often midwives, nurses, and doctors whose roles are cut first. Anyone familiar with maternity care scandals here in the UK will know that workforce shortages are among the most critical factors affecting safety. The same holds true globally.
The consequences of cutting aid are profound and they extend well beyond maternity care. Do take a moment to read the full piece from Kate Devlin and Alicja Hagopian on just how deep the impact has been.
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