The World Health Organisation’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on the United States to reconsider its significant reductions to global health aid, warning that the cuts could have devastating consequences and threaten millions of lives. He specifically highlighted that disruptions to global HIV programs could undo two decades of progress, potentially leading to more than 10 million new HIV cases and three million HIV-related deaths.
These comments come after US President Donald Trump froze nearly all US foreign aid, including critical funding for global health initiatives, when he returned to office in January. The sudden shift has caused significant turmoil in the humanitarian sector, which had relied heavily on US contributions.
Tedros pointed out that reductions in funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would severely impact ongoing battles against diseases like HIV, malaria, measles, and polio. He emphasised that the global malaria response, in particular, was facing severe disruptions due to shortages of diagnostic supplies, medications, and insecticide-treated bed nets.
The US has historically been the largest bilateral donor in the fight against malaria, helping prevent over 2.2 billion cases and 12.7 million deaths. However, if these disruptions continue, it is estimated that an additional 15 million malaria cases and 107,000 deaths could occur this year alone.
Similarly, the halt to US funding for the PEPFAR HIV initiative has already caused significant disruptions in HIV treatment, testing, and prevention efforts in over 50 countries. At least eight countries are now facing shortages of antiretroviral medications, threatening to reverse years of progress in the fight against HIV.
Tedros also noted that US funding has been crucial in the battle against tuberculosis (TB), saving nearly 80 million lives over the past two decades. These gains, too, are at risk due to the funding cuts.
Finally, Tedros warned of the impact on immunisation programs, particularly the WHO’s Global Measles and Rubella Network, which relies entirely on US funding. The network is facing an imminent shutdown, at a time when measles cases are on the rise worldwide. Tedros emphasised that vaccines have saved nearly 94 million lives over the past 50 years, underscoring the importance of continued support for immunization programs.
