Global aid cuts could cost nearly 10 million lives by 2030, study warns
One year after the Trump-era dismantling of USAID, a Lancet study projects that ongoing global aid cuts could cause about 9.4 million more deaths by 2030 (about 2.5 million under age 5) vs maintaining 2023 funding; deeper cuts could raise deaths to 22.6 million. Using data from 93 low- and middle-income countries, the analysis credits overseas aid with major declines in child mortality and infectious diseases, while warning that current and planned cuts are already weakening health systems as clinics close and mortality data gaps emerge. Some donors argue for reform of the aid system and route funds through recipient governments; the study notes it doesn’t fully account for philanthropic or national countermeasures that could mitigate harms.
