WHO warns of possible tuberculosis surge because of USAID cuts
Health authorities say that the Trump administration’s gutting of USAID raises the risk of a global surge in tuberculosis cases and deaths.
Health authorities are calling attention to a looming consequence of the Trump administration’s gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development: the risk of a global surge in tuberculosis cases and deaths.
The World Health Organization warned last week that the sweeping funding cuts could endanger millions of lives, since many countries depend on foreign aid for TB prevention, testing and treatment.
“Without immediate action, hard-won progress in the fight against TB is at risk,” Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, director of the WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health, said in a statement Wednesday.
Globally, tuberculosis is responsible for the most deaths of any infectious disease. Around 1.25 million people died from the bacterial infection in 2023, the latest data available, and new cases hit an all-time high that year, with around 8.2 million people diagnosed, according to the WHO.
Until recently, USAID provided about a quarter of the international donor funding for tuberculosis services in other countries — up to $250 million annually, according to the WHO. The agency operated tuberculosis programs in 24 countries.
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