US aid cuts are hurting Africa’s ability to respond to disease outbreaks, health chief says

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Aid cuts by the United States are hurting Africa's capacity to respond to disease outbreaks, the head of the continent’s public health agency said Thursday, ahead of a meeting with regional health ministers to discuss other financing options.

Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or Africa CDC, told reporters that Friday's meeting with African health ministers will "discuss recent developments in global health financing" and where more sustainable funding might come from.

Kaseya spoke of a "new era" in health financing after U.S. aid cuts that have left health systems in Africa in disarray. The aid cuts, which affect governments and their partners in the non-governmental sector, have shut down or disrupted projects tackling diseases ranging from malaria to AIDS.

Much of the funding to the Africa CDC and regional governments was lost with the Trump administration's decision to terminate most foreign aid contracts and cut $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance abroad. Many of the affected programs are in fragile countries that are highly reliant on U.S. aid to support health systems, nutrition programs and stave off starvation.

Kaseya cited the immediate impact in Congo, which is the epicenter mpox outbreaks in Africa and where aid cuts and insecurity in the country's east have contributed to challenges in testing for the disease as well as securing enough vaccine doses.

Aid cuts have impeded the collection and transportation of samples in Congo, Kaseya said.

"We know this aid cut is a difficult moment for our countries, and it came overnight," he said. "Some of them were not prepared for this major aid cut."

The U.S. aid cuts affecting the response to outbreaks of mpox, Ebola and other diseases are the latest in a trend of declining monetary support by international partners over the years, he warned.

"We are not just talking about the U.S.," he said. "We are saying almost all Western countries are decreasing their support. And that one is a critical issue for our health security."

Kaseya said the Africa CDC and the World Bank are discussing possible "transitional" funding in the aftermath of U.S. aid cuts.