Foreign aid cuts increase maternal and child mortality rates

A new study from Stanford University highlights how foreign aid sanctions can negatively affect maternal and child health. Researchers found that cutting development aid can significantly increase death rates among mothers, infants, and young children. The study looked at three decades of sanctions on foreign aid, specifically in low-resource countries. It revealed that sanctions lasting five years or more could erase 64% of the progress made against maternal mortality, 29% against infant mortality, and 26% against child mortality. Lead researcher Ruth Gibson emphasized the importance of understanding the health impacts of foreign policy. She suggested that governments could design sanctions that protect vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. The study was published in The Lancet Global Health and is the first to focus specifically on the health implications of aid sanctions. It coincides with discussions in the U.S. Congress about minimizing the harmful effects of aid cuts, especially amid concerns about the shutdown of USAID. Gibson and her team used data from various sources to analyze how past aid sanctions influenced health outcomes between 1990 and 2019. They found that sanctions reduced healthcare spending by about 2.4%, contributing to increased mortality rates. The researchers took care to control for other factors that might influence these outcomes, such as economic conditions and conflict-related deaths. They sought to ensure that their findings accurately reflected the impact of sanctions alone. Gibson and her colleagues provided policy recommendations to reduce the adverse effects of sanctions on maternal and child health while still addressing national security interests. They suggested legislative bodies ask health-related questions when considering changes to foreign aid, as well as assess risks in conflict-affected nations. Overall, the study underscores the need for a balanced approach in foreign aid policy that promotes national interests without harming vulnerable populations abroad.