![Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, CEO of Gavi Alliance. [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter handle of Atiku Abubakar]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2023/02/Dr-Muhammad-Ali-Pate.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1)
The US government has officially terminated 83 per cent of the programmes run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
It has also cancelled 5,200 contracts initially awarded by the agency to several organisations.
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This development comes several weeks after the suspension of all foreign assistance and the issuance of a stop-work order on the agency.
In a post on X on Monday, the country’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced that the US Department of State, along with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made this decision after a six-week review of the agency’s activities.
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“The 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” he said.
“In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programmes we are keeping (approximately 1,000) to be administered more effectively under the State Department,” MrRubio further wrote.
Suspension of USAID programmes
Due to the drastic elimination of numerous USAID programmes, many international projects dedicated to health, education, and humanitarian relief worldwide that were initially suspended will now end.
The suspension of foreign assistance raised global concerns and alarmed many African developing countries, which depended heavily on US foreign aid.
In Nigeria, clinics and research centres shut down following President Donald Trump’s executive order on January 20.
PREMIUM TIMES also reported that intervention programmes were abruptly suspended, community health workers lost their jobs, and USAID health workers deployed to hard-to-reach areas were recalled.
Additionally, humanitarian aid dwindled, leaving vulnerable groups without essential support. Many had hoped the aid freeze and stop-work order would be lifted after 90 days.
However, Mr Rubio’s recent announcement confirms the ultimate elimination of several USAID-funded programmes.
Nigeria govt’s effort
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has begun working to bridge the funding gap created by the new US policies.
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) earlier announced its plan to strengthen its domestic HIV response and produce HIV-related medical tools, including test kits and antiretroviral drugs.
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: What USAID’s exit means for Nigeria’s healthcare system
On 3 February, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved $1.07 billion to finance the healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, disclosed that FEC also approved N4.8 billion for HIV treatment.
As part of government efforts to address the funding gap, the Nigerian Senate also recently allocated an additional N300 billion to the health sector in the 2025 budget.
The additional allocation, equivalent to $200 million, will target health programmes such as Tuberculosis, HIV, Malaria and Polio.
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