Experts warn of threat to global health as Trump freezes USAID

The spread of disease, as well as delays to the development of vaccines and new treatments, could be affected by cuts to USAID.

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President Donald Trump's administration has announced huge cuts to the agency's workforce and the immediate suspension of almost all of its aid programmes.

The US government has announced a 90-day freeze on funding for aid projects while it undertakes a "review" to ensure they align with President Trump's priorities.

Trump is a long-term critic of overseas spending and has said it needs to be brought into line with his "America First" strategy.

The administration has targeted USAID in particular, saying the agency's spending is totally unexplainable and has singled out certain projects as examples of how the agency is, in its view, wasting taxpayers' money.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q13113wwo

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