These illegal actions will cause many to die and accelerate the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis, all to save less than 1% of the US's budget.
In 1961, Congress created the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Every year, it supports programs across the world that help end tuberculosis.
But now it is under threat.
UNDER THREAT
As Trump took office in January, his administration swiftly moved to dismantle USAID.
In his first week in office, he signed an executive order freezing foreign aid, including all USAID funding, for 90 days while the administration reviewed the funding. But experts questioned the legitimacy of this review.
Later that week, the Secretary of State issued a temporary waiver for life-saving treatment, which, according to experts, has only been sparingly granted.
As the weeks progressed, USAID’s website was taken down while thousands of employees were fired, including overseas workers who were providing care to millions of people around the world.
Finally, the administration has announced that it will permanently shutter 90% of USAID's contracts as workers get their last chance to retrieve their belongings after being fired.
THE SUPER BUG
Stopping TB treatment before it’s completed is known to cause drug-resistant TB, making treatment more difficult and expensive. When this happens on a large scale, the resistance can spread around the world, threatening people from the US to Nigeria. These cuts could also cause a “superbug” to develop that is resistant to all our current medications.
These cuts are estimated to result in a 28-32% increase in tuberculosis globally, which will set us back decades in the fight against TB. But we can still fight back.
TAKE ACTION
PEPFAR money still isn't being spent! Funding already approved by Congress on a bipartisan basis is being withheld by the White House. We can help by calling on our representatives to demand the White House releases the funds NOW!
Around the world, nations are considering how much funding they should give to the Global Fund as a part of its 2026-2028 replenishment cycle. The Global Fund is the world's largest funder of global health grants, fighting tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Malaria. Its continued funding is crucial to the fight against TB around the world. We need to remind our governments to keep their commitments to global health and replenish the Global Fund!