By Evance Kapito
More than 14 million people, mainly from African countries, could face serious health challenges in the next five years following a decision by former United States President Donald Trump to cut health aid under USAID.
According to a new report published by The Lancet Medical Journal, the aid cuts will disproportionately affect poor countries, including Malawi, that heavily rely on USAID funding for critical health programs.
The report highlights that the decision threatens progress made in the fight against major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. The hardest-hit groups will include vulnerable children under the age of five.
Experts behind the report warn that if alternative funding mechanisms are not found, the health systems in many low-income countries will struggle to cope, potentially reversing decades of progress in global health.