Kathmandu—Minister for Health and Population Mr. Pradip Poudel has expressed serious concern over the impact of reduced foreign development assistance on Nepal’s maternal, child, and newborn health programs. Speaking at a ministerial roundtable held ahead of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Minister Poudel urged the United Nations and other international donor agencies to continue their support to sustain life-saving services in Nepal.

Participating in the high-level session focused on the implications of aid cuts, Minister Poudel stated that Nepal is progressing toward transitioning from a low-income to a lower-middle-income country, and further reductions in development assistance could disrupt key healthcare services. He noted that aid cuts have already posed challenges to maternal, child, and newborn health efforts.

According to the minister, nearly 5 million women of reproductive age and 1.5 million children under five are being affected due to the suspension of support to critical nutrition programs. Additionally, he stated that the reduction in aid would also affect reproductive education and services for 3.5 million adults.

“Due to shifting global priorities, bilateral and multilateral aid cuts have impacted core health services in Nepal, including maternal and child health, immunization, nutrition, safe abortion, and family planning programs,” Minister Poudel said. “In response, Nepal has increased its domestic health budget to address the shortfall. However, the declining health budget still remains a major challenge.

Highlighting the broader implications of aid reduction on least developed countries, Minister Poudel emphasized the urgent need for sustained financial and technical assistance from the United Nations and global partners to address ongoing health challenges.

He also presented Nepal’s progress in maternal and child health, noting a 71% decline in the maternal mortality ratio from 2000 to 2023. Expressing optimism, he said that with continued efforts, Nepal is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Minister Poudel is scheduled to address the plenary session of the World Health Assembly starting tomorrow. During his stay in Geneva, he will also hold bilateral meetings with health ministers and officials from various countries and interact with members of the Nepali medical community in Europe.