U.S. Cuts Vaccine Funding While Maintaining HIV and TB Support

The Trump administration plans to significantly reduce funding for Gavi and malaria efforts while retaining some support for HIV and tuberculosis. This shift has major implications for global health funding and U.S. foreign aid.

The Trump administration has unveiled intentions to eliminate the United States' funding for Gavi, an organization pivotal in providing vaccines for children in developing countries, a move poised to endanger millions of lives over the next few years. The budgetary cut also encompasses a substantial reduction in initiatives aimed at combating malaria, a leading cause of death globally due to its prevalence in impoverished regions.

A recent 281-page spreadsheet disclosed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.) to Congress outlines which foreign aid projects will see continuation and which will be terminated. The documentation, which has been reviewed by The New York Times, exposes a significant withdrawal from long-standing commitments made over the past fifty years to portray the United States as a benevolent force in the global arena dedicated to the fight against devastating infectious diseases.

According to accompanying cover letters, U.S.A.I.D.'s operational capacity has been drastically depleted, now with only 869 out of over 6,000 employees remaining on the job. The administration's revised plan indicates that of the 6,239 U.S.A.I.D. awards, only 898 will continue, while a staggering 5,341 will be terminated. The value of ongoing programs totals nearly $78 billion, yet only $8.3 billion represents unobligated funds, which may severely constrict the future of global health assistance. This represents a dramatic cut from the previous $40 billion annual funding that U.S.A.I.D. was accustomed to deploying internationally.

The consequences of these cuts could be dire for vaccine accessibility and healthcare programs in countries already grappling with conflicts and environmental catastrophes, thus reshaping the landscape of health equity and humanitarian support globally.