US slashes $2B in global health funding, sparking a deadly crisis
Major cuts to global health funding have triggered a crisis after the US dismantled its foreign aid agency. Over $2 billion meant for life-saving programmes was diverted to cover shutdown costs instead. Experts now warn of millions of preventable deaths from diseases like tuberculosis, malaria and HIV in the coming years.
The collapse of these programmes follows the elimination of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by mid-2025—a move overseen by Elon Musk during his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
The shutdown began in early 2025 when USAID was folded into the State Department before being dissolved entirely by July. Musk’s department terminated 83% of the agency’s contracts, slashing its workforce from around 10,000 to fewer than 300. Supplies were left unused, and critical programmes were abruptly halted.
By February 2025, Musk symbolically raised a chainsaw on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference, signalling aggressive cuts to government operations. The consequences soon became clear: PEPFAR data recorded a 17% drop in global HIV testing in 2025 compared to the previous year. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also scaled back its global monitoring, now tracking only a multi-country hantavirus outbreak after USAID’s dissolution. Health leaders condemned the decision. Bill Gates criticised Musk directly, stating that the cuts would lead to more children contracting HIV in countries like Mozambique. Medical journal *The Lancet* projected even graver outcomes, estimating 14 million extra deaths by 2030—including 4.5 million children under five—due to the loss of USAID’s health initiatives. The redirected funds, originally earmarked for disease prevention, now cover severance pay and administrative closeout expenses. Without intervention, officials warn that tuberculosis, malaria and other treatable illnesses will surge in vulnerable regions.
The dismantling of USAID has left a gap in global health security that will take years to repair. With testing rates falling and outbreaks going unchecked, the decision to reallocate over $2 billion has already set back progress against preventable diseases. The long-term toll—measured in millions of lives—will unfold over the next decade unless alternative funding emerges.
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