About 95,000 mothers supported by Save the Children could give birth without skilled medical help in the next year. Global aid cuts are forcing the suspension of life-saving maternal and newborn health programmes, especially in crisis-hit areas.
The hardest-hit countries include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Yemen, and Nigeria, according to the charity. The UN reported in 2023 that over 700 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and birth. Additionally, 6,300 babies die each day due to these avoidable causes. Most of these deaths are avoidable with basic care from trained midwives, nurses, or physicians. Care in the first 60 seconds after birth—known as the “golden minute”—can make a life-or-death difference.
ONE SIMPLE SOLUTION: MIDWIVES SAVE LIVES
UN modelling shows that universal midwifery care could save 4.3 million lives a year by 2035. Even a modest 10% increase in coverage could prevent 1.3 million maternal and newborn deaths annually. Skilled attendants not only reduce deaths but prevent long-term harm like brain damage, seizures, or postpartum bleeding.
Save the Children’s work in North Kivu, DRC, is under serious threat. Chantal, 18, fled conflict while pregnant and received emergency surgery thanks to free care at a Save the Children facility. “If I had to pay,” she said, “I would have stayed in the hospital for months, unable to leave.”
But with aid drying up, clinics like the one that helped Chantal may soon close or begin charging fees.
WHEN HELP ISN’T THERE, WOMEN SUFFER
Margueritte, a nurse at a Save the Children-supported clinic, saw this first-hand when a mother was turned away due to lack of funds.
“She started crying when she found out she had to pay. We couldn’t do anything without the project’s support,” she said.
Previously, the clinic provided free care for all. Today, that is no longer guaranteed.
GLOBAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP CALLED TO ACT
Speaking at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Save the Children UK CEO Moazzam Malik warned of deepening danger.
“Shrinking aid and rising debt threaten essential services,” he said. “It is unconscionable to leave 95,000 mothers to give birth alone.”
He urged governments to rethink health financing and align it with real-world needs:
- Tax harmful products
- Boost domestic investment
- Coordinate donor support
- Strengthen health systems
WHAT’S AT STAKE: UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE
The WHA sets global health priorities. This year, Save the Children is pushing for adoption of resolutions on:
- Global health financing reform
- Accelerating investment in health and care workforce by 2030
Without strong action now, the goal of universal health coverage is in jeopardy, Malik said.
SAVE THE CHILDREN’S LIFE-SAVING WORK AT RISK
In 2024, Save the Children’s reproductive health services reached 1.4 million babies and 2.1 million women across 30 countries.
The organisation trains health workers and delivers care even in fragile settings—often where no other services exist.
But those efforts depend heavily on consistent, predictable funding.
Without it, the future looks bleak for tens of thousands of pregnant women.
WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
The crisis is immediate. If funding shortfalls persist, women like Chantal may have nowhere to turn in moments of life-threatening need. Aid cuts don’t just halt programmes—they reverse hard-won progress. Millions of babies and mothers have better outcomes today thanks to basic care. It would be a tragedy to lose lives simply because the world failed to fund proven solutions.
THE CALL TO ACTION
As global leaders gather in Geneva, the time for decision is now.
Save the Children urges member states and donors to:
- Protect maternal health funding
- Support frontline health workers
- Prioritise fragile regions in need
- Ensure no mother gives birth without help