All articles tagged with #usaid
Experts say the Bundibugyo-ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda has been worsened by cuts to U.S. and Western aid, including USAID’s closure, which reduced PPE, testing, and cold-chain logistics and delayed detection, contributing to the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record with more than 1,400 cases and about 440 deaths.
Twin earthquakes in Venezuela spur a large U.S. disaster-response effort—a $150 million package and a 250‑person DART deployment—seen as a test of Washington’s retooled aid policy that places disaster relief under the State Department after USAID cuts, with the first 72 hours crucial for survivors and analysts watching how the operation blends humanitarian relief with geopolitical aims surrounding Maduro.
UNRWA fired 70 employees after Israel and the group UN Watch alleged Hamas ties; USAID has referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff to the U.S. State Department for suspension or disbarment over roles in the October 7 attacks. UNRWA says the removals are to mitigate safety risks and notes that Israel has provided no evidence, while UN Watch argues the agency is no longer neutral and should be reformed or shut down; UNRWA’s union condemns the decision as unfair without a transparent investigation.
The Verge’s TC Sottek argues that Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO could make him the world’s first trillionaire, but his actions—most notably the Trump-era DOGE-led cuts to USAID—have been deadly for global health, with models predicting hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths from malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and Ebola. The piece accuses Musk of knowingly and gleefully undermining public health and civil society, highlights his racist rhetoric and anti-immigrant stances, and concludes that the world may need saving from his immense power and wealth.
Slate columnist Jill Filipovic argues that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is worsening because U.S. funding cuts and the dismantling of global health programs, especially USAID, have eroded surveillance, sample transport, lab capacity, and frontline health networks in Africa. That erosion delayed detection and response, undermined trust in communities, and left response systems underprepared for rapid testing and humanitarian action. The piece highlights the need to rebuild public health infrastructure, ensure reliable testing, and maintain strong international collaboration to contain the outbreak and protect broader U.S. and global interests.
The article argues that Trump-era cuts to USAID and CDC, plus the U.S. withdrawal from WHO, have left the Congo Ebola outbreak severely under-resourced and poorly coordinated, risking greater spread and undermining global public health.
Democrats argue that cuts to federal health agencies under the Trump administration have weakened outbreak response as hantavirus appears on a cruise ship and Ebola spreads in Africa. The outbreaks prompt calls to rejoin WHO and restore funding to the CDC, FDA, and USAID, while the White House defends its actions and touts interagency coordination. Experts warn the U.S. could be less prepared for a true pandemic, amid debate over vaccine development funding and past U.S. responses.
Zimbabwe is experiencing a malaria surge driven by US aid cuts that disrupted control programs and climate-driven mosquito breeding, with 65,399 cases and 174 deaths reported Jan–Apr 2026. Shortages of nets, diagnostic kits and medicines in rural areas, plus weakened surveillance after ZAPIM II/ZENTO funding cuts, have undermined prevention and treatment, threatening years of progress toward elimination unless funding is restored and preventive measures are strengthened.
As Ebola cases rise in Africa, public health experts warn that Trump-era moves—dismantling USAID, exiting the WHO, and cutting CDC funding—could weaken global disease surveillance and rapid-response networks just as outbreaks intensify, despite U.S. claims of strengthened on-the-ground efforts; experts say effective containment requires not only equipment and clinics but trusted community engagement and robust public health infrastructure.
A previously undetected Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is spreading in the DRC with hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of deaths, including spillover to Uganda and potential risk to South Sudan. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern as experts warn that sweeping U.S. public health cuts—dissolving USAID, layoffs at health agencies, and withdrawing from WHO—have weakened surveillance, labs, and response capacity, raising the chance of wider spread. Critics say travel bans are ineffective and that the U.S. is no longer at the table, underscoring calls for renewed funding to stop the outbreak.
Public health experts say cuts to U.S. foreign aid and the shutdown of USAID have strained Ebola response capacity, causing shortages of masks, testing components, and staff as the Bundibugyo outbreak spreads from the DRC to Uganda; WHO called it an international concern while CDC/WHO teams are stretched thin and containment is at risk. As of May 19 there are 530+ confirmed cases and 134 deaths, with no vaccine or treatment, raising the possibility of further spread including to the United States if not contained.
One year after the Trump-era dismantling of USAID, a Lancet study projects that ongoing global aid cuts could cause about 9.4 million more deaths by 2030 (about 2.5 million under age 5) vs maintaining 2023 funding; deeper cuts could raise deaths to 22.6 million. Using data from 93 low- and middle-income countries, the analysis credits overseas aid with major declines in child mortality and infectious diseases, while warning that current and planned cuts are already weakening health systems as clinics close and mortality data gaps emerge. Some donors argue for reform of the aid system and route funds through recipient governments; the study notes it doesn’t fully account for philanthropic or national countermeasures that could mitigate harms.
A South African-led HIV vaccine trial faced a funding freeze after USAID cut support, prompting researchers to pivot to local funding sources and scale back the study to a South Africa–based trial in Cape Town, with recruitment underway as scientists pursue a vaccine strategy based on broadly neutralizing antibodies.
Trump unveils an $11.1 billion, five-year “America First Global Health Strategy” to replace USAID by sending money directly to foreign governments, health organizations, and drug makers—primarily in Africa—with a focus on HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and maternal health, aiming to boost U.S. influence while bypassing NGOs, though critics warn of corruption and data-tracking risks.
The abrupt US aid cuts through USAID have led to a power vacuum in global health, which anti-rights groups are exploiting by promoting conservative policies and alternative services that threaten reproductive rights and health, especially in developing countries. These efforts include the Geneva Consensus Declaration and the Protego project, aiming to restrict access to abortion and comprehensive sexuality education, potentially increasing maternal mortality and unsafe abortions worldwide.