Health charities operating in Nepal warned on Saturday that reductions in United States foreign aid have deepened a maternal and child health crisis, forcing rural clinics to cut services and turn away patients. The warnings followed reports this week detailing the impact of USAID funding cuts across the Himalayan nation.

The US Agency for International Development historically funded vaccination drives, midwife training and maternal care programmes in Nepal's remote districts. Aid workers said the withdrawal of that support had disrupted supply chains for essential medicines and reduced the number of skilled birth attendants available in areas such as Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces.

Representatives of international organisations, including groups aligned with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, said the funding gap threatened years of progress in lowering Nepal's maternal and neonatal mortality rates. They reported that some community health posts had suspended antenatal checkups and immunisation outreach in recent weeks.

Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population said it was seeking alternative donors and reallocating domestic budgets to cover shortfalls. Aid analysts cautioned that domestic resources could not fully replace the scale of previous US contributions, leaving vulnerable populations in mountainous regions most exposed.

The crisis in Nepal reflects a wider pattern across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where global health programmes have contracted following US aid reductions. Charities urged donor governments and multilateral bodies to fill the gap before the coming winter, when access to remote clinics becomes far more difficult.