Trump's order halts supply of lifesaving drugs to poor countries - Reuters
Photo: Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States of America (Getty Images)
The administration of US President Donald Trump halted the supply of vital medications to countries supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Reuters reports.
According to sources, on January 28, contractors and partners working with USAID began receiving memos requiring them to immediately cease operations. One such notification was sent to the large US consulting firm Chemonics.
It is noted that USAID also operates in the areas of HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as contraception and maternal and child health supplies.
"This is catastrophic. Donated drug supplies keep 20 million people living with HIV alive. That stops today," said Atul Gawande, former head of global health at USAID.
Gawande also added that disruptions in the supply of medications create the risk of drug-resistant strains. In particular, other USAID partners received notifications about the suspension of support and will not be able to receive medications even when they are available in warehouses.
According to the former head of global health at USAID, this affects organizations working with 6.5 million orphans and vulnerable children with HIV across 23 countries.
US suspends USAID funding
On January 21, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of all foreign aid programs to review them for alignment with his foreign policy. A few days later, the US Department of State issued an order to "halt operations" for all existing foreign aid and suspended the delivery of new aid.
As a result, the USAID office in Ukraine also ceased its project operations and funding.
