President John Dramani Mahama has sounded the alarm over the fallout from the end of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) operations, warning that the move could push roughly 5.7 million Africans into poverty by the close of 2026.
Addressing the 79th World Health Assembly on Monday, May 18, he said recent changes in global aid flows are already triggering serious humanitarian and health impacts, with the most vulnerable hit hardest.
He referenced data showing that sudden cuts in funding, including those affecting the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programmes across parts of Africa, have caused clinic shutdowns, stalled gender-based violence support, and left millions living with HIV unsure about ongoing treatment.
South Africa alone faces uncertainty for an estimated 1.4 million patients. President Mahama also cautioned that forecasts suggest up to nine million preventable deaths could occur by 2030 if current reductions in health assistance persist, calling the projection a major threat to global health security.
“It is estimated that the direct consequences of this aid suspension could push about 5.7 million Africans into poverty by the end of 2026,” he said, stressing that the fallout extends beyond health to wider economic and social stability.
The comments follow the official closure of USAID operations on July 1, 2025, ending over 60 years of U.S.-led development aid that backed key sectors across Africa such as health, education, agriculture, and governance.
Reports indicate the shutdown came after an internal review under the United States’ “America First” policy, which raised concerns about waste and mismanagement in foreign aid and is reshaping how development assistance is delivered worldwide.
