Trump administration seriously disrupts US international health assistance

President Trump ordered a sweeping on the inaugural day Freeze 90-day expenses About almost all American foreign help, including many forms of health and food aid. An independent agency, the United States Agency for International Development, is the most prominent entity that is seriously affected. It seems that now, after a cessation of USAID activities, senior officials of the agency are placed with administrative leave, while Trump and cabinet members are considering the future of the entity.

Vs today out That the website of the USAID is offline and that employees are told to stay at home on Monday, whereby guards block the entrance. While this happened, Elon Musk announced On X that he and Trump are planning to completely close the USAID.

The USAID carries out a wide range of activities, including food aid and distribution (often in conflict zones), clean water supply, health support of mothers and babies, mass administration of rehydratation sides for children suffering from diarria prevention and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and treatments and were provisions and were vaccinations are providers. Where the disease is and endemic.

Apparently agencies undergo whose mission to offer foreign aid to undergo an assessment of three months by the Trump government. State Secretary Marco Rubio says that he is now acting director of USAID and will assess how money is allocated. He stated that the dollars that are issued must be ‘justified’ by evidence that such expenditure makes the US ‘safer, stronger and more prosperous’.

Although unclear exactly what role Musk plays in determining the future of USAID, he has been given an office in the White House to guide what Trump calls the Department of Government Efficiency. Presumably the task of Musk to cut $ 2 trillion out of government spending, where foreign help is an area in which substantial budget reductions would apply.

However, it is still to be seen whether USAID will be completely dismantled. This can depend on which parts of the work of USAID meet the criteria set by Secretary Rubio. The BBC report That the Trump government may have plans to merge it with the US Department of Foreign Affairs, where in all probability it would be a considerable conversion in the financing and the workforce.

The USAID was founded in the early 1960s under President John F. Kennedy to manage humanitarian aid programs around the world on behalf of the American federal government. The congress applies funds for the activities of USAID. The agency has around 10,000 people, of whom two -thirds work abroad. In the tax year 2024, the agency received more than $ 44 billion in federal financing. The majority of that money is spent in Asia, Africa Zuiden de Sahara and Europe (mainly about humanitarian efforts in Ukraine). Although it is a considerable amount, it is only good for 0.4% of the entire federal budget.

The implications of a greatly reduced American presence in health support, international development and disaster help could be profoundSpecifically around the global humanitarian programs that depend on USAID. In terms of international aid, the US is by far the world’s largest donor. The US spent $ 68 billion on international aid in 2023. The aggregated amount is spread over different departments and agencies, but the USAID budget is more than half of the more than $ 40 billion.

Apart from the effects on USAID, other initiatives, such as the Emergency Plan of the US President for AIDS exemptions created by former President George W. Bush in the 2000s are threatened. This program represents the greatest commitment of a nation to tackle a single disease in history. Pepfar is managed and checked by the Office of the US Department of State’s Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy. During the first week of Trump’s second office, he issued an executive order to temporarily stop all Pepfar activities. Secretary who signed an exemption at the end of January that makes the distribution of certain HIV drugs possible. However, it is unclear whether the exemption extends to preventive medicines or other Pepfar activities.

And Trump’s actions also influence what is called the Malaria initiative of the president, an organization that was also founded by former President Bush. Due to the work of this entity, the US has become the world’s largest donor of anti-Malaria programs and research. According to the New York TimesOne of the executive orders of Trump led to two-thirds of the staff of the malaria initiative being released.

And by withdrawing from the World Health Organization, Trump further reduces the crucial role that the US plays in combating neglected tropical diseases, such as leishmaniasis, river blindness, docking fever and trachoma. These and usually treatable infectious diseases affect millions of people in tropical regions of the world, causing serious health problems, including anemia, blindness, chronic pain, infertility and physical malformation. Historically, despite the great burden imposed by neglected tropical diseases in many people, they have received a relatively small part of the means for drug development and treatment distribution. American aid organizations have filled part of the void. So far.