Trump’s Policy Shift Threatens Disease Control in Africa

The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Agreement carries catastrophic consequences for Africa’s health infrastructure. It threatens decades of hard-won progress against diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, which remain among the continent’s most persistent public health challenges.

According to WHO data, Africa accounted for a staggering 94% of all malaria-related deaths in 2021—equivalent to 582,000 lives lost. Globally, tuberculosis continues to kill more people than any other infectious disease, with 1.5 million deaths annually. Meanwhile, neglected tropical diseases—including leishmaniasis, dengue fever, and river blindness—disproportionately afflict low- and middle-income countries. These diseases affect over 1.7 billion people worldwide and impose an estimated economic burden of $7 billion annually, further entrenching poverty and inequity.

In recent years, large pharmaceutical companies such as Takeda and Bayer have re-engaged with tropical disease research and development, focusing on novel approaches to combating diseases like dengue and river blindness. Nevertheless, for African nations, the priority remains safeguarding existing gains in controlling a broader array of diseases, including tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, Zika, and Ebola. Bolstering the resilience of healthcare systems that are already underfunded and vulnerable is critical, particularly in the context of accelerating climate change.

Global warming is set to reshape the epidemiological landscape: rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns are likely to drive mass displacements across the Global South, creating new vectors for disease transmission. Pathogens responsible for malaria, cholera, and Chagas disease could spread along migration routes, while ecological disruptions might fuel population growth in disease-carrying mosquitoes and other vectors.

Further exacerbating these risks, the U.S. exit from the WHO endangers global health information networks. These systems facilitate the timely exchange of pathogen samples and outbreak data, both of which are indispensable to containing infectious disease outbreaks and developing life-saving vaccines. Since its founding in 1948, the WHO has served as the central hub for international health cooperation. In Africa, the organization collaborates closely with the African Union’s Centre for Disease Control (AU-CDC), created in 2016 in direct response to the devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016. Through partnerships with entities such as the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU-NEPAD), the AU-CDC has advanced evidence-based approaches for disease surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

This cooperative infrastructure has strengthened the continent’s ability to respond to emerging threats like Lassa fever and cholera.

Funding remains the linchpin of these efforts, and here, too, U.S. disengagement raises alarms. The United States contributed $1.28 billion to the WHO’s budget between 2022 and 2023, representing 14.5% of the agency’s overall funding. This included $218.5 million in assessed contributions, $1.02 billion in voluntary donations, and $46.7 million for the Contingency Fund for Emergencies. Without continued U.S. support, the WHO may struggle to sustain its programs in Africa, undermining the continent’s fight against endemic diseases.

Compounding this, the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement threatens to disrupt climate-adaptation financing, which has become increasingly tied to healthcare resilience. Issues such as rising sea levels, glacial melting, and ocean acidification are already straining agriculture and public health infrastructure in many developing countries.

The urgency of these challenges was a focal point at COP29, held last year in Baku. Delegates called for greater investment in healthcare projects within low- and middle-income nations, emphasizing the importance of local vaccine and antibiotic manufacturing to mitigate antimicrobial resistance and improve food security. However, the absence of U.S. backing for climate-health initiatives under the Paris Agreement remains a glaring obstacle. The former President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) had committed $3 billion annually to support climate adaptation. Without these funds, many vulnerable nations are left increasingly dependent on the International Development Association (IDA), a division of the World Bank that provides low-interest development credits and grants. Such reliance risks stalling efforts to build climate-resilient healthcare systems and modernize infrastructure.

This precarious situation places immense pressure on other global powers—China, the European Union, and India—to step into the leadership void left by the U.S. and uphold the commitments made at COP29. Philanthropic organizations may also have to play a more prominent role in bridging funding gaps. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation alone contributed $830 million to the WHO between 2022 and 2023, underscoring the potential for large-scale private interventions. Yet without a coordinated and sustained global response, the progress made in combating infectious diseases and systemic inequities could unravel, jeopardizing the well-being of millions across the developing world.

This article was published initially by our eminent contributor Kaouthar Lbiati in International Policy Digest
https://intpolicydigest.org/

You are welcome to join our efforts If you are interested in promoting diversity, tolerance and coexistence!
Feel free to get in touch via magazine@rootsandroutesmag.com

Orignal Article: Kaouthar Lbiati