Inside Trump's $11 billion health plan to replace "neo-colonial" USAID

"The program would send billions of dollarsdirectly to needy foreign governments, health care organizations and drug manufacturersover the next five years - a plan that critics worry could be a recipe for corruption and "catastrophic" failures. Zoom in: So far, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed 15 agreements with African countries aimed at improving their health systems with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and maternal health. The U.S. has committed $11.1 billion over five years to the countries, which have pledged $12.2 billion in matching funds and promised to meet performance goals."

"The initiative is the administration's answer to critics who accused Trump of deadly, dangerous and self-defeating isolationism when the administration scuttled USAID at the start of his second term. Rubio said the system replaces the "NGO industrial complex" that siphoned 70% of U.S. money to middlemen and bureaucrats based in the D.C. area. Former USAID officials dispute that characterization. "They built parallel health care, flying a bunch of American workers out there to treat people," said Jeremy P. Lewin, undersecretary of state for foreign assistance. "Yes, you made progress, but it stalled and you never built durability or self-reliance in these African governments because they had this parallel system.""

Billions of U.S. dollars will be sent directly to foreign governments, health care organizations and drug manufacturers over five years to strengthen health systems. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed 15 agreements with African countries focused on HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and maternal health. The U.S. pledged $11.1 billion and partner countries pledged $12.2 billion in matching funds with performance goals. The State Department aims for agreements with 50 countries. Critics warn the direct-transfer approach risks corruption and catastrophic failures. Proponents say the plan ends USAID-era middlemen and builds local capacity instead of parallel systems.

Read at Axios