The U.S. State Department has announced the termination of funding for approximately 5,800 projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development. This decision, described as being for the convenience of the government, marks a significant end to assistance programs previously deemed essential and lifesaving. Experts warn this move could lead to severe consequences, with public health initiatives, such as those targeting tuberculosis and polio, facing abrupt cessation. The action has intensified concerns regarding its potential impact on vulnerable populations worldwide, as vital data collection efforts are also halted.
Starting Wednesday afternoon, a wave of emails went out from the State Department in Washington around the world, landing in inboxes for refugee camps, tuberculosis clinics, polio vaccination projects and thousands of other organizations that received crucial funding for lifesaving work.
This award is being terminated for convenience and the interest of the U.S. government, they began. The terse notes ended funding for some 5,800 projects that had been financed by the United States Agency for International Development.
People will die, said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.
Collection
[
|
...
]