Credited from: INDIATIMES
According to a study published in the prestigious The Lancet, more than 14 million vulnerable people could die due to the Trump administration's dismantling of US foreign aid, which could reverse two decades of health progress, especially among children under five. Researchers, analyzing data from 133 countries, have projected that these cuts will have dire consequences for low- and middle-income countries, comparable to major global crises such as pandemics or armed conflicts, as reported by Le Monde, Reuters, and Dawn.
This research indicates that funding cuts announced by the US government, expected to decrease USAID funding by over 83 percent, would lead to preventable deaths, including approximately 4.5 million children under five by 2030, according to experts at ISGlobal and corroborated by various studies including those reported by Africanews and HuffPost.
The research underscores the historical impact of USAID, which has prevented 91.8 million deaths in developing countries since 2001, demonstrating its crucial role in combating health crises. The disruptions expected in funding are likely to exacerbate mortality from diseases like HIV and malaria, as noted by sources including BBC and The Hill.
As nations grapple with declining aid budgets, the urgency to reverse these cuts is emphasized in light of the upcoming UN conference, where world leaders are expected to discuss strategies to bolster humanitarian efforts amid fears of rising mortality due to these reductions in aid, according to insights shared by India Times and Dawn.