As the rainy season approaches in West Africa, bringing with it an increase in malaria cases, many health clinics across the region have been forced to shut down. These closures, largely attributed to cuts in American funding under the Trump administration, are having devastating effects on local communities already grappling with conflict and poverty.
In Nigeria’s conflict-ridden Borno State, where clinics once provided vital services to over 300 patients a day, healthcare workers like Musa Adamu Ibrahim have found themselves without jobs. Ibrahim, who had treated malaria and other diseases, explained the gravity of the situation: “The clinics have been closed, and there are no more free drugs or mosquito nets.”
The health crisis has deepened as USAID, the United States’ primary foreign development agency, drastically reduces its support for Africa’s health systems. The withdrawal of this critical funding is exacerbating existing issues such as access to healthcare and the distribution of essential medicines. As the situation worsens, the region faces a looming crisis in healthcare delivery, particularly as malaria cases rise with the peak of the rainy season.
Worsening Malaria Crisis
Before the closure of these clinics, Ibrahim and his colleagues provided malaria treatment to hundreds of people weekly. With the funding cuts, these clinics are no longer able to offer care to the most vulnerable. Fatima Kunduli, another worker laid off in Borno, recounted how her clinic had seen up to 60 children a day for malnutrition and malaria treatment before it was forced to close.
Saschveen Singh, an infectious disease expert with Doctors Without Borders, pointed out that the closures have left critical gaps in malaria care. With funding cuts affecting distribution networks, countries like Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which rely heavily on US aid for malaria drug distribution, are struggling to fill the void.
Cholera and Disease Outbreaks Intensify
The loss of USAID funding is also causing significant disruptions in other areas of healthcare. In South Sudan, clinics supported by USAID have shut their doors amid a cholera outbreak, leaving children to travel long distances to the nearest treatment centre, where many die en route.
Similarly, in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, home to over 300,000 people, a shortage of essential medicines has led to widespread protests. Local health facilities are struggling to meet basic healthcare needs, with critical drugs running out. In Kinshasa, the Kinkole General Hospital faces uncertainty as it continues to treat mpox patients without knowing whether their American-backed funding will continue.
Vaccine Funding at Risk
The implications of funding cuts go beyond immediate healthcare needs. The global vaccine programme, Gavi, faces a severe funding gap if US contributions are further reduced. Gavi, which procures vaccines for the world’s poorest countries, is already experiencing financial strain. If the cuts continue, vaccination programmes will likely collapse, leaving millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Experts like John Johnson, a vaccination advisor with Doctors Without Borders, warn that the ripple effects will be felt later this year, when many countries’ vaccination schedules are due to be replenished.
A Bleak Future for Africa’s Healthcare System
The withdrawal of USAID funding has put millions of lives at risk, especially in regions like Borno, where healthcare workers like Kunduli once saw the impact of foreign aid firsthand. “Even with US funding, the work was overwhelming,” she said. “Now, I can only imagine what it’s like for those left without care.”
The loss of foreign aid is a stark reminder of the fragile nature of healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa, which depend heavily on international support. As the rainy season worsens, many communities face an uncertain future with limited access to essential medical services.
