Usaid funding freeze disrupts global tuberculosis control efforts
The USAID funding freeze has disrupted global tuberculosis control, halting diagnosis and treatment services, risking increased mortality and drug-resistant strains, while legal challenges are being pursued against the freeze.
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The recent freeze on funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has severely disrupted global tuberculosis (TB) control efforts. This 90-day funding halt, initiated by the Trump administration without prior notice, affects all aspects of TB services, which rely heavily on USAID's financial support. The agency is a major donor, contributing approximately $406 million in 2024, accounting for about one-third of international funding for TB. As a result of the freeze, TB diagnosis and treatment services in high-burden countries have ceased, leaving patients without access to necessary medications and diagnostics. Community organizations that connect marginalized populations to TB services have also halted operations, and clinical trials for drug-resistant TB treatments have been paused. Experts warn that even short interruptions in TB services can lead to increased mortality and the spread of drug-resistant strains. The funding freeze comes at a time when TB services were just beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which had already caused significant declines in access to TB care. Legal challenges against the funding freeze are underway, but the long-term implications for TB control and research remain concerning, as the disruption could hinder progress in combating this leading infectious disease.
- USAID's funding freeze has halted TB services globally, affecting diagnosis and treatment.
- The freeze could lead to increased mortality and the spread of drug-resistant TB strains.
- Legal challenges are being pursued against the funding freeze and agency dismantling.
- The disruption comes as TB services were recovering from COVID-19 impacts.
- Experts emphasize the need for continuous TB program activities to prevent serious health consequences.
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9 commentsI think the rest of the world will withdraw from trusting the US after this and other actions. A lot of trust in the world leadership positions the US takes are being torched by these vandals right now and while I hope for an amazing US comeback in 4 years it looks a lot more like China will step in as a stable partner for a lot of countries after an almost complete betrayal of western values.
I had watched a loved one suffer from this disease. The pills were huge. Waiting too long to start treatment causes a lot of complications. These aren't well understood, given the massive TB funding deficits. Even when the disease is cleared from your lungs, it leaves plenty of things behind.
If you or somebody you know is coughing persistently for weeks, losing weight, has evening fevers, just get the quantiferon gold test. Be persistent with your doctor, just mention past TB exposure. Your insurance should cover it. Don't wait around months trying to look at every other avenue. It'll look very similar to aspergillosis on x-rays.
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Tuberculosis causes 1.2 million deaths annually, with the BCG vaccine showing variable efficacy. The End TB Strategy aims for significant reductions by 2030, focusing on new vaccines and antibiotics.
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