The United States’ decision to cut funding to Gavi, the organization that provides vaccines to the world’s poorest countries, could lead to more than a million deaths and pose a global health threat, warned Gavi’s CEO on Thursday.
The news, first reported by the New York Times, comes as President Donald Trump’s administration aggressively reduces foreign aid. The move was included in a 281-page spreadsheet detailing cuts from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sent to Congress on Monday night.
Gavi’s CEO, Sania Nishtar, told AFP that the alliance had “not received a termination notice from the US government” and that discussions were ongoing with both the White House and Congress to secure the $300 million approved by Congress for the group’s 2025 activities, as well as long-term funding.
Nishtar stressed that a reduction in funding from the US would have severe consequences for global health security, potentially causing over a million preventable deaths and jeopardizing lives worldwide due to the risk of dangerous disease outbreaks.
Health experts and organizations have warned that cutting Gavi’s funding would not only undermine global health progress but could ultimately cost the world more money in the long run, setting back decades of efforts to combat deadly diseases.
