Dear friends and partners,

We usually try to remain hopeful by sharing success stories and positive program updates from the field – but today I need to be honest with you and deliver very sad news. The past few weeks have been nothing but exhausting and frightening and we’re working hard to remain strong in this crisis.

On January 27th, a Stop Work Order was issued on all work funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Initially described as a 90-day review, the true intention of this policy, to end all US global humanitarian aid is now clear.

Babies and Mothers Alive (BAMA) is completely non-partisan in its mission, which is to transform the quality of reproductive, maternal, and newborn health care in Uganda. There comes a time however when silence is assent. Masha Gessen, the Russian-American journalist and author has reminded us recently of the concept of ‘obeying in advance’, which many well-intentioned people and organizations do for very rational reasons.

With the sudden cut of USAID, in one day BAMA lost 50% of its projected funding over the next two years.

That’s 1.2 million dollars.

For weeks, we held out the slim hope that we would not have to cut back the funding for the lifesaving partnerships with district governments and the Ministry of Health that have led to dramatic reductions in institutional maternal and perinatal mortality for a population of close to one million people. BAMA is proud to be part of an international movement, led by global health champions from the communities we serve, to stand up for the rights of women and children in countries like Uganda, where 99% of maternal deaths occur.

It's not just the women and babies of our nine districts in Uganda that will suffer. We had to let go 25% of our staff and cut salaries by up to 18%. When our USAID program which is dedicated to maternal and early childhood health and development was cut, it was determined that our work was “…not aligned with Agency priorities and…not in the national interest.”

We’re not the only ones.

Over the past 20 years, PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has saved 25 million lives and given the gift of an AIDS-free life to 8 million babies. In South Africa alone, the shutdown of PEPFAR funding will result in the birth of 230 HIV-positive babies every day, 84,000 babies in this year alone in just one country.

What a sad day it is when feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and yes, ensuring that no woman or baby dies in childbirth simply because of where they are born is not in our national interest. The USAID budget of 40 billion dollars is less than 1% of the US budget and yet represents 40% of all global health and development assistance.

Now more than ever, we fight for human rights.

In our early days, BAMA Foundation Executive Director, Dr. Daniel Murokora and I had the honor of working with the late Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health. He said, “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world.” This sad truth is never more relevant than today. In the coming months and years, BAMA will continue to take a leading role in the global movement demanding health equity for all. Now more than ever we declare that quality health care is a human right.

We ask that you partner with us in this fight. Your support at this moment gives our staff and partners in Uganda the courage to continue their lifesaving work.

Together we will overcome.

Thank You,

Updates on USAID

With the sudden cut of USAID, in one day BAMA lost 50% of its projected funding over the next two years.

That’s 1.2 million dollars.

We’re not the only ones.

Now more than ever, we fight for human rights.

Finally some hope for Jordan