Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States
Policy shifts in US foreign aid under the Trump administration have had far-reaching consequences for global health, particularly on the African continent. The withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the suspension of foreign aid have significantly disrupted US global health initiatives. W...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Global Security: Health, Science and Policy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23779497.2025.2529165 |
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| author | Faraan O. Rahim Huda Haque Rohith Karthik Victoria Ayodele Chris Beyrer Abebe Bekele |
| author_facet | Faraan O. Rahim Huda Haque Rohith Karthik Victoria Ayodele Chris Beyrer Abebe Bekele |
| author_sort | Faraan O. Rahim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Policy shifts in US foreign aid under the Trump administration have had far-reaching consequences for global health, particularly on the African continent. The withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the suspension of foreign aid have significantly disrupted US global health initiatives. While programmes such as PEPFAR have retained some support, the shutdown on USAID operations – a critical agency for health and disease response across 47 sub-Saharan African countries – poses substantial challenges. These cutbacks not only threaten public health efforts but also diminish strategic investment opportunities, given Africa’s rapidly growing economies and potential for high economic returns. Furthermore, reducing aid endangers healthcare and biomedical innovations that have been instrumental in combating diseases such as Ebola and HIV. In the past, US-funded initiatives have contributed to Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and technological advancements, fostering mutual economic benefits. The shift in foreign aid policy risks weakening US global influence, creating a vacuum that geopolitical competitors, such as China and Russia, are poised to exploit. In this paper, we argue that sustained investment in African health initiatives is essential for strengthening economic partnerships, enhancing global health security, and reinforcing US geopolitical standing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf9c38f3d3ea42cdb3f2a0cc56a5632b |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2377-9497 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Security: Health, Science and Policy |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf9c38f3d3ea42cdb3f2a0cc56a5632b2025-07-08T08:00:32ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Security: Health, Science and Policy2377-94972025-12-0110110.1080/23779497.2025.2529165Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United StatesFaraan O. Rahim0Huda Haque1Rohith Karthik2Victoria Ayodele3Chris Beyrer4Abebe Bekele5Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USADuke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USACenter for Global Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USADuke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USADuke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USADepartment of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity, Butaro, RwandaPolicy shifts in US foreign aid under the Trump administration have had far-reaching consequences for global health, particularly on the African continent. The withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the suspension of foreign aid have significantly disrupted US global health initiatives. While programmes such as PEPFAR have retained some support, the shutdown on USAID operations – a critical agency for health and disease response across 47 sub-Saharan African countries – poses substantial challenges. These cutbacks not only threaten public health efforts but also diminish strategic investment opportunities, given Africa’s rapidly growing economies and potential for high economic returns. Furthermore, reducing aid endangers healthcare and biomedical innovations that have been instrumental in combating diseases such as Ebola and HIV. In the past, US-funded initiatives have contributed to Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and technological advancements, fostering mutual economic benefits. The shift in foreign aid policy risks weakening US global influence, creating a vacuum that geopolitical competitors, such as China and Russia, are poised to exploit. In this paper, we argue that sustained investment in African health initiatives is essential for strengthening economic partnerships, enhancing global health security, and reinforcing US geopolitical standing.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23779497.2025.2529165Global healthAfricainvestment |
| spellingShingle | Faraan O. Rahim Huda Haque Rohith Karthik Victoria Ayodele Chris Beyrer Abebe Bekele Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States Global Security: Health, Science and Policy Global health Africa investment |
| title | Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States |
| title_full | Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States |
| title_fullStr | Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States |
| title_short | Scaling back aid for Africa is a strategic misstep for the United States |
| title_sort | scaling back aid for africa is a strategic misstep for the united states |
| topic | Global health Africa investment |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23779497.2025.2529165 |
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