Washington’s cut to funding for a global vaccine alliance could undo decades of progress in the fight against malaria, just as several African nations approach eradicating the disease.
Last year, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reduced support to the Gavi alliance over what he said was a preservative used in the anti-malaria shots, alleging it causes autism; studies show there are no such links. Resulting lower vaccination rates could cost 19,000 lives, Gavi said, including in countries such as Ghana where malaria has nearly been wiped out.
The situation “could get worse,” said Bill Gates — whose foundation is one of Gavi’s biggest backers — with low-income nations scrambling to respond to “the fastest decrease in the history of foreign aid.”
