New Delhi, July 1
The dismantling of US foreign aid, imposed by the Donald Trump government, can lead to more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, including over 4.5 million children under five, warned a study published in The Lancet on Tuesday.
The study estimates that the developmental programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) prevented 91 million deaths between 2001 and 2021 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Of these approximately 30 million were among children.
The programmes by USAID -- the largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid worldwide -- were also associated with a 15 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality and a 32 per cent reduction in mortality among children under five.
However, the recent US aid cuts could now put that progress at risk, noted the global study.
It comes as President Trump's administration cancelled 83 per cent of all programmes at USAID, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March.