Trump Cripples US Foreign Health Aid

February 1, 2025

Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid
The New York Times
Feb. 1. 2025
By Stephanie Nolen

Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.

Lifesaving health initiatives and medical research have shut down around the world in response to the Trump administration’s 90-day pause on foreign aid and stop-work orders.

In Uganda, the National Malaria Control Program has ceased shipments of bed nets for distribution to pregnant women and young children.

 Medical supplies including drugs to stop hemorrhages in pregnant women and dehydration salts that treat life-threatening diarrhea in toddlers cannot reach villages in Zambia.

Dozens of clinical trials in South Asia, Africa and Latin America have been suspended. Thousands of people enrolled in the studies no longer have access to continuing treatment.

Many researchers and program managers broke down in tears as they described the rapid destruction of decades of work.

The programs that have frozen or folded over the past six days supported frontline care for infectious disease, providing treatments and preventive measures that help avert millions of deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

Millions of dollars’ worth of supplies that support health clinics are scheduled to reach ports in the coming days, but employees of those programs have been ordered to stop work.

Two-thirds of the staff of the President’s Malaria Initiative, an organization founded by former President George W. Bush that is the largest donor to anti-malaria programs and research worldwide, have been fired.

Since the stop-work order was issued last Saturday in Zambia, all of the vehicles transporting health products have been stopped.

 

Comment by: Don McCanne & Jim Kahn

ENOUGH!

This action is illegal and immoral. Illegal because the White House does not have the authority to end Congressionally-mandated programs. Immoral because the unwarranted precipitous actions will kill people.

Here’s what we feel in our hearts:

We must immediately demand the resignations of President Trump, Vice-President Vance, and their appointed co-conspirators in these and other profound injustices to humanity. If it requires peaceful but massive demonstrations at the White House, then so be it. (We cannot use their violence against humanity as an excuse to commit violence against them.)

We should also call for an emergency session of Congress so that they can appoint temporary custodians of our government, as we arrange for a new leadership that cares about the people rather than their own massive wealth accumulation. Members of Congress who refuse to cooperate should also resign.

We must end this man’s inhumanity to man. Patience and caution should not be used to interfere with bringing justice to America.

Obviously, these actions are not the normal way we do things in America, but neither are the actions that Trump has been taking. A call for his resignation sends a clear message.

Widespread peaceful demonstrations are entirely warranted – to protect health both abroad and at home.

All our actions can adhere to constitutional and legal norms while expressing our outrage, and building a powerful anti-anti-health popular movement.