The abrupt shutdown of USAID-funded projects has sent shockwaves through the global health community, with experts warning of severe consequences for disease research, vaccine development, and international health security.
Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the US Agency for International Development has played a pivotal role in combating infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. It has provided life-saving medical treatments in regions that would otherwise struggle to access them. The agency’s abrupt closure by the Trump Administration’s new Department of Government Efficiency has left numerous projects in limbo, including essential funding for vaccine research and long-term studies aimed at preventing future pandemics.
Several lawsuits have been filed and lower court judges have issued temporary injunctions halting the scrapping of funding and programs. In 2023, the US spent $71.9 billion on foreign aid, about 1.2% of its annual budget.
“The US had a great outreach program. We touched a lot of people around the world through USAID,” said Dr. Benjamin Neuman, Professor of Biology and former Chief Virologist of the Global Health Research Complex at Texas A&M University. “These are all projects that are dual benefit. They’re helping someone in another country, and they are directly or indirectly, in the short or long term, really helping here.”
“Stopping those projects right in the middle is really bad for science. There are ideas that may not ever get tested that could have become vaccines for HIV. There are countries that could have been malaria-free a year from now that may not be,” said Neuman in an interview with Ethnic Media Services.
Source: Published without changes from Ethnic Media Services
