When Republican presidents win power in the US there is a stark consequence for many pregnant woman around the world – a significant rise in maternal mortality as aid is withdrawn, a new study has found. Global family planning aid typically drops under Republican presidents and then rises again by 48% once Democratic presidents are elected, the research, published in BMJ Global Health, finds. When Republican presidents take control and shrink family planning aid, it correlates to an 11% increase in maternal mortality, the study found. This on-off rise in maternal mortality since the 1980s, during a period when overall maternal mortality has declined worldwide, is linked to the use of the so-called global gag rule. Under Donald Trump, the US has escalated this policy to apply to all US global health aid under a policy called Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance.

Source: The Guardian March 26, 2026 04:05 UTC