Global foreign aid cuts have hit sub-Saharan Africa the hardest, a new report warned, estimating that a drop in funding could lead to 22.6 million additional deaths by 2030.
Of the 93 low- and middle-income countries analyzed by The Lancet Global Health Study, 38 nations on the continent are “particularly at risk,” facing cuts of up to 28% last year. “Sudden and severe reductions in ODA funding could have catastrophic consequences,” it said, adding that “even modest defunding” was likely to lead to “sharp increases in preventable adult and child mortality.”
The Trump administration’s decision to shut down USAID — the world’s largest humanitarian and development funding agency — has already had a devastating effect on the continent, adding to the impact of foreign aid cuts by other Western donors such as the UK, France, and Germany.
