US Aid Freeze Hurts Global Health Programs, WHO Chief Warns
(Based on reporting by Reuters)
The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Wednesday that the U.S. decision to pause foreign aid is causing serious harm to global health programs. Efforts to fight diseases like polio, HIV, mpox, and bird flu are being hit hard.
Tedros urged the U.S. to restart funding until long-term solutions can be found. He explained that the pause, ordered by President Trump last month, has already stopped HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services in 50 countries supported by the U.S.
AIDS relief program (PEPFAR). Although some services have resumed, prevention efforts for high-risk groups are still on hold.
Clinics have closed, and health workers have been sent home, Tedros said. The WHO is now trying to help countries fill gaps in supplies of life-saving HIV drugs.
The funding freeze is also affecting polio eradication efforts and the response to mpox outbreaks. In Myanmar, nearly 60,000 people have lost access to critical health services.
Tedros also expressed concern about the U.S. decision to leave the WHO, which is hurting collaboration on fighting disease outbreaks, including bird flu.
The WHO has limited information about bird flu cases in the U.S., though officials say the U.S. still reports cases under international rules.
The WHO is facing its own funding challenges and is exploring new ideas, like raising $50 billion through an endowment or charging for some services.
Tedros emphasized that the U.S. aid freeze and withdrawal from the WHO are having a global impact, putting millions of lives at risk. He called on the U.S. to reconsider its decisions for the sake of global health.
(This summary is based on original reporting by Reuters.)