USAID freeze has triggered health crises in 50 countries, says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says healthcare services in 50 countries have been severely disrupted following the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by President Donald Trump.

The BBC reports that Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, spoke at a virtual press conference in Geneva on Wednesday. 

He warned that the freeze on tens of billions of dollars in US aid is affecting programmes tackling HIV, polio, mpox, and bird flu.

“There are actions that the US government is taking… which we’re concerned are having a serious impact on global health,” he said.

Tedros cited the suspension of PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) which has halted HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services in 50 countries.

“Clinics are shuttered, and health workers have been put on leave,” he added.

The cuts follow Trump’s move to close USAID which oversees the majority of US humanitarian aid.

The US president has described USAID’s spending as “totally unexplainable”, calling the agency “incompetent and corrupt”.

Trump has announced significant cuts to USAID’s 10,000-strong workforce and suspended nearly all of its aid programmes.

The agency, which spends about $40 billion — around 0.6% of total US yearly government spending — primarily supports health programmes across Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe, including humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

MUSK BACKS CUTS, CALLS USAID ‘CRIMINAL’

Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, has also criticised USAID, describing the agency as “a criminal organisation”.

The US aid freeze has sparked global concern, with health experts warning of potential outbreaks and setbacks in vaccine development and treatment initiatives.

WIDER HEALTH IMPACT

Alongside the USAID freeze, Trump has initiated steps to withdraw the US from the WHO.

Under the Joe Biden administration, the US was the United Nations health agency’s largest contributor, providing nearly one-fifth of its budget in 2023.

Tedros said the US withdrawal is undermining international cooperation on health threats and disrupting the reporting of bird flu cases in humans.

In response to the aid suspension, the WHO has employed emergency measures to plug gaps in life-saving medication supplies, such as antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV.

Meg Doherty, director of global HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) programmes at the WHO, said the agency is coordinating with countries to share critical medicine supplies.

“We have been seeking support from country to country for sharing, but this is a short-term approach,” Doherty said.