11% rise in maternal deaths in US aid-dependent countries under Republican administrations. Equivalent to 45 extra deaths per 100,000 live births, data analysis indicates this erodes a fifth of fall in global maternal deaths achieved since 1985.

Maternal deaths rise by around 11% in countries that rely on US aid following a switch from a Democratic to a Republican administration, suggest the findings of a data analysis published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. This is equivalent to around 45 additional deaths for every 100,000 live births, eroding a fifth of the decline in global maternal deaths that has been achieved since 1985, conclude the researchers.