Global leaders must prioritize support for vulnerable populations worldwide effectively

Global Maternal and Child Health on Brink of Collapse Due to Aid Cuts, Debt, and Conflict

A recent report by The Lancet medical journal estimates that if current trends continue, more than 14 million additional people could die worldwide by 2030, including 4.5 million children under five. This would result in a significant increase in preventable deaths and suffering.

According to the World Health Organization, every two minutes, a woman dies while giving life, and nearly five million children do not live to see their fifth birthday each year. The report highlights that aid cuts, debt, conflict, and shrinking fiscal space are pushing health systems around the world to breaking point.

In 2025, official development assistance fell by 23 percent, the largest annual drop in history. This has resulted in health workers losing their jobs and training pipelines breaking down in over 50 countries. Maternal care, vaccination, and emergency response have been cut by up to 70 percent in some places.

The report emphasizes that investing in women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health is crucial for global progress. Closing the gap in women’s health alone could add at least $1 trillion to the global economy every year by 2040. Every dollar invested in childhood vaccination or adolescent mental health returns about $20 over a lifetime.

Health systems are being severely impacted due to aid cuts, debt, conflict, and fiscal constraints. In countries affected by conflict or fragility, six in 10 maternal deaths occur. Women living in these countries are five times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their counterparts in stable countries.

The report stresses that the true measure of global progress lies in whether women survive pregnancy and childbirth, children are vaccinated and nourished, and adolescents can grow up healthy, safe, and hopeful. Investing in women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health is a matter of political choice.

Source: Al Jazeera