By Stacey Koehnke, MedShare CEO/Executive Director
In recent years, a convergence of global and domestic policy shifts has placed women’s health—particularly maternal and child health—under mounting pressure. Budget cuts, program disruptions, and international funding restrictions have created ripple effects that disproportionately impact vulnerable women, girls, and families. Amid these growing challenges, free and charitable clinics are emerging as indispensable safety nets.
The time to support them is now.
Global Consequences: How Funding Restrictions Disrupt Women’s Health
Recent changes to U.S. foreign aid policy—most notably the reinstatement and expansion of the Global Gag Rule (GGR)—have led to widespread disruptions across international health systems. While this policy is often associated with specific reproductive health issues, its broader implications are far-reaching.
The GGR prohibits U.S. funding from going to foreign organizations that engage in certain types of health counseling or services, even if those services are funded through other means. In practice, this has forced many trusted global health providers to scale back or shut down entire programs that have nothing to do with the policy’s original intent.
In regions where healthcare infrastructure is already fragile, this has resulted in:
- Reduced availability of prenatal and postnatal care
- Limited access to family planning and contraceptive supplies
- Fewer HIV and cervical cancer screenings
- Loss of health education and outreach programs for adolescent girls and rural women
These cascading effects have put women and children at increased risk of complications during pregnancy, higher rates of unplanned pregnancies, and worsened birth outcomes. When entire clinics lose funding, it’s often maternal and child health programs—the lifelines of their communities—that suffer most.
Health experts estimate that this disruption could contribute to tens of thousands of preventable maternal and infant deaths each year globally. It underscores a key truth: when policies interrupt the delivery of essential services, it’s the most vulnerable who feel the greatest impact.
Domestic Cuts and the Erosion of the Maternal Health Safety Net
At home, U.S. maternal and infant health systems are also under strain. Deep budget reductions and restructuring at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have affected several programs vital to women’s health.
For example, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)—a crucial surveillance tool used to track maternal and infant health trends—was recently paused due to staff reductions and operational restructuring. PRAMS data have historically helped identify risks such as postpartum depression, access to prenatal care, and health disparities across racial and geographic lines. Without this data, policymakers and providers are left without the evidence they need to respond to emerging issues.
In parallel, the proposed FY2026 federal budget recommends a 26% cut to HHS discretionary funding, including a $274 million reduction to maternal and child health programs. These cuts threaten early intervention efforts, chronic disease prevention, and maternal mental health support services.
The effects are already being felt on the ground. Across the country, free and charitable clinics—and even some charitable hospitals—report having to cut back or close maternal and child health programs. This is deeply concerning, particularly in rural and underserved urban areas where these clinics often serve as the only accessible source of care for low-income women and children.
Why Charitable Providers Are More Essential Than Ever
In this moment of overlapping challenges, charitable healthcare providers are stepping up in critical ways. These organizations:
- Reach populations mainstream systems often miss, including women in rural communities, immigrants, uninsured individuals, and people facing housing insecurity.
- Provide integrated, compassionate care, often under one roof—from prenatal visits and mental health counseling to chronic disease management and family planning.
- Operate on slim margins, yet are highly efficient and community-driven.
Despite their outsized impact, many of these providers receive little or no public funding. A 2024 report found that 86% of free and charitable clinics do not bill insurance and rely heavily on donations and volunteer labor. These clinics collectively delivered over 6 million patient visits last year—but rising costs and increased demand are pushing their limits.
The Path Forward: What We Must Do Now
To prevent further erosion of maternal and child health—and to build a more resilient system—we must take action. Here’s how:
- Stabilize funding for maternal and child health programs at both the federal and state levels, ensuring these services are not treated as optional during budget negotiations.
- Support charitable and nonprofit healthcare providers through grants, partnerships, and low-barrier funding mechanisms that allow them to expand care without red tape.
- Protect vital data infrastructure like PRAMS, so that we can understand and address the health needs of pregnant people and new mothers in real time.
- Avoid policies that unintentionally disrupt critical services. Regardless of political intent, restrictions that limit funding to health providers—especially those offering comprehensive care—often undermine broader health goals.
A Call to Act
We are at a tipping point. The data tell us maternal mortality in the U.S. – particularly among black and native American women – remains alarmingly high compared to other developed nations. Internationally, we see setbacks in women’s health progress where aid restrictions or political conditions continue to interrupt care delivery. Free and charitable clinics are absorbing more demand than ever—but they cannot do this alone.
At MedShare, we’ve spent more than two decades strengthening maternal and child health through partnerships with charitable healthcare providers across the globe. By bolstering clinics and hospitals with life-saving medical supplies and equipment, equipping maternal and child health-focused medical mission teams, distributing Clean Birthing Kits to remote regions in developing nations, and providing biomedical training resources critical to sustainability, we’ve helped expand access to care for pregnant women, newborns, and young children in hundreds of underserved communities. Our work supports frontline providers who are often the only source of care for women facing high-risk pregnancies, chronic disease, or birth complications—from remote villages in Sub-Saharan Africa to free and charitable clinics across the U.S.
Today, MedShare continues to stand alongside the organizations working tirelessly to close the health equity gap. We are actively responding to rising demand by distributing maternal health kits, investing in neonatal equipment, and forming partnerships that empower charitable clinics to expand their services. Whether through domestic shipments to free clinics or international collaborations with trusted NGOs, we remain committed to improving maternal and child health outcomes and strengthening the infrastructure of care for those most in need.
Policymakers, funders, and civic leaders must recognize that investing in maternal and child health is not just a health imperative—it’s a social and economic one. Supporting the clinics and nonprofits that deliver this care is an investment in stronger families, healthier communities, and a more equitable future.
At a time when so much feels uncertain, one thing remains clear: when we support organizations that serve women and children, especially those with the fewest resources, we all benefit. The question now is whether we will be able to rise to meet this moment.
