US strikes one-year, $25M deal with UNICEF for maternal and newborn health supplies

In a Reuters exclusive carried widely on 16–17 October 2026, the United States confirmed a one-year, $25 million deal with UNICEF to continue supplying life-saving medicines and equipment for mothers, newborns and young children in at least 15 of the world's poorest countries. Under the arrangement, UNICEF will procure and deliver maternal and child health commodities, together with some nutrition supplies, to nations previously served by US aid, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti and Mali. The agreement is intended to prevent gaps while recipient governments negotiate new long-term funding. It follows the Trump administration's freeze on much of US foreign assistance and the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, moves taken as part of its 'America First Global Health Strategy.' Officials and aid workers said the $25 million represents only a small fraction of the maternal and child health support lost through USAID's closure, but will keep critical items such as oxytocin, newborn resuscitation kits, iron and folic acid supplements and therapeutic foods flowing for another year. UNICEF warned that without further commitments after 2027 preventable maternal and newborn deaths could rise sharply in fragile states.