White House actions have ‘serious impact on global health:’ WHO [Video]

The United States’ pause on foreign aid contributions is having a serious impact on global health, hitting programs fighting polio, HIV and other threats, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.

Tedros urged the U.S. to consider resuming aid funding until solutions can be found.

“There are actions that the U.S. government is taking … which we’re concerned are having a serious impact on global health,” said Tedros in a virtual news conference from Geneva.

Efforts to tackle HIV, polio, mpox and avian flu were all impacted by the foreign aid pause implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump last month shortly after he took office while the programs are reviewed.

In particular, Tedros said, the suspension of funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) had caused an immediate stop to HIV treatment, testing and prevention services in the 50 countries it supports.

Shuttered clinics

Despite the subsequent …