Malaria Starts Kicking Off in Africa as Trump’s Stop-Work Orders to USAID Take Effect

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The decision of the Trump administration to cut 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts has raised alarms among health officials in Uganda, who are facing threats from the onslaught of the malaria outbreak. Children are most vulnerable to this disease as Malaria season kicks off. The stop-work orders from USAID issued in late January have forced him and his team to concentrate on disaster preparedness.

The U.S. is the leading bilateral supporter of anti-malaria initiatives in Africa. While there is no definitive cure, vaccines being distributed in parts of Africa are not perfect but are expected to continue with backing from a global vaccine alliance.

According to Malaria No More, a Washington-based organisation, new projections indicate that just one year of disruption in the malaria-control supply chain could result in nearly 15 million additional cases and 107,000 more deaths worldwide.

The organisation has called on the Trump administration to reinstate these critical programs before outbreaks escalate. In 2023, Africa’s 1.5 billion population accounted for 95% of an estimated 597,000 malaria fatalities globally, as reported by the World Health Organization.

Health workers in Nigeria, Congo, and Uganda, the three African nations most affected by malaria, have described a series of negative consequences stemming from the reduction of U.S. government support.The U.S. has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars annually to three countries through the President’s Malaria Initiative, led by USAID.

This funding is often distributed via various non-governmental organizations, medical charities, and faith-based groups, facilitating easier and sometimes free access to malaria prevention and treatment, particularly in rural areas.

In 2023, Uganda reported 12.6 million malaria cases and nearly 16,000 fatalities, with a significant number being children under five and pregnant women, as per WHO data.

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