After USAID: what now for aid and Africa?

The Trump administration’s shocking decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) overnight has led to termination of 90% of its 6300 projects, a form of “geopolitical vandalism.”1 The full effects will take time to comprehend, partly because data systems that track programmes worldwide have also been closed.2 Repercussions for Africa are wide and deep—but present a crucial opportunity.

These decisions were taken without consulting the implementers—international non-governmental organisations in the US and on the ground, African health ministries, and the millions of Africans who depended on USAID funded programmes for healthcare.

The first response was outrage about the harms to millions of Africans, including abrupt withdrawal of treatment and deaths. Second was distress about sudden job losses at USAID and partners globally, and third, disbelief about US loss of soft power: foreign development aid has always been a tool to advance US interests.3

The outcry has largely come from the “global north”; perhaps unsurprising, given that the majority (84%) of the largest 200 global health organisations have headquarters there, so the impact on jobs, careers, and businesses will be greatest.45