The administration of President Donald Trump intends to terminate U.S. financial support for Gavi, an organization dedicated to procuring vaccines for children in impoverished nations, and will reduce initiatives aimed at combating malaria. This information comes from a document prepared by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which outlines numerous budget cuts.
However, the administration will maintain funding for certain grants that cover medications for HIV and tuberculosis, as well as food assistance for countries experiencing civil unrest and natural disasters, as reported by the New York Times.
A document reviewed by Reuters on Wednesday details both the international aid programs that will be eliminated and those that will continue.
Since Trump assumed office, Washington has significantly reduced foreign aid, cutting approximately 80% of contracts to align with the administration’s ‘America First’ policy, resulting in widespread chaos, confusion, and hardship globally.
The 281-page document identifies 898 programs that will remain operational, amounting to $78 billion in expenditures, much of which has already been allocated.
In total, 5,341 awards are set to be discontinued, accounting for nearly $76 billion, according to the document. The government has already committed around $48 billion of this total.
The U.S. government has not yet responded to requests for comments.
Gavi emphasized that U.S. support is “crucial” for its operations.
“With U.S. backing, we can save over 8 million lives in the next five years and provide millions of children with a better opportunity for a healthy and prosperous future,” the organization stated on X.
Since its establishment in 2000, Gavi estimates it has saved 18.8 million children’s lives by assisting countries in acquiring routine childhood vaccines to guard against lethal diseases such as measles and diphtheria.
When asked about the U.S. plans, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations was a “tremendous supporter” of Gavi. He described it as “an amazing symbol of multilateral cooperation, of public-private cooperation, in the fight against diseases – diseases that know no borders.”
“We encourage everyone to give and give generously,” he said.