Global health at risk: Advocates challenge US foreign aid freeze

Health advocates are sounding the alarm over the Trump administration’s suspension of nearly all foreign aid, warning that the sudden freeze is causing devastating effects on communities worldwide.

Legal pushback

A coalition of organisations, including Physicians for Human Rights, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and prominent health experts like South Africa’s Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, has taken the matter to court. They argue that the halt in funding is already causing irreparable harm, from increased child HIV infections to spikes in preventable deaths due to halted vaccination programs.

A recent three-judge panel overturned a temporary block on the aid freeze, but one dissenting judge cautioned that the cuts may violate constitutional principles. Advocates are now calling for the full court to rehear the case.

Real-world consequences

Court documents highlight alarming stories: in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, eight internally displaced people, including a pregnant woman, died after USAID-funded services were cut. In Uganda, clinics report spikes in mother-to-child HIV transmission after years of near elimination. In Cape Town, Dr. Dvora Joseph Davey’s study on PrEP for pregnant women shows a troubling reversal in progress.

Dr. Abdool Karim also described how Mpox vaccination efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ground to a halt overnight when USAID staff were barred from releasing stored vaccines. Hundreds of new cases now emerge weekly.

Prevention vs. response

Advocates stress that prevention is far more cost-effective than responding to outbreaks after the fact. Historical evidence shows that funding cuts correlate with disease surges, while programs like USAID’s Ebola surveillance have protected both global and American populations.

“Lives are being lost, children are being harmed, and global health security is at risk,” the brief states. “The court must act to preserve the injunction and prevent further irreversible damage.”

The human impact

From Kenyan mothers struggling to obtain antiretroviral therapy for their children to communities losing access to clean water and vaccination programs, the freeze has tangible consequences. Advocates argue that restoring funds after these losses will not undo the harm.

The legal battle continues as global health experts push for the full court to step in, warning that halted aid threatens not only vulnerable populations abroad but the health security of Americans at home.

{Source: IOL}

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