The Human Toll of USAID's Funding Freeze: Lives at Risk in Uganda and Malawi**

Thousands in Uganda and Malawi face a healthcare crisis as the USAID freeze leads to a dire shortage of essential medications and services, jeopardizing lives and communities heavily reliant on foreign aid.**

Life for many in Uganda and Malawi has taken a tragic turn after former President Donald Trump’s recent suspension of USAID's foreign aid, a decision that has left those dependent on international support in dire straits.

Mike Elvis Tusubira, a 35-year-old motorcycle taxi rider living with HIV in Uganda, describes his life as being "turned upside down" following the aid freeze. Since the announcement of the funding halt, which Tusubira learned about on social media, he and his HIV-negative wife can no longer engage in safe sexual practices, putting their marriage at risk. His wife’s access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), vital in preventing HIV, has been cut off entirely, leaving them both in a state of fear and uncertainty.

Their only source of life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) medication was the support from USAID. With this vital support now severed, Tusubira worries that he might have to separate from his wife because they cannot safely maintain their marital relations without adequate preventive measures.

Tusubira’s situation mirrors the struggles of many across the region. The health sector in Uganda is reliant upon donor funding, which constitutes about 70% of its health initiatives, particularly in addressing HIV/AIDS. In 2023 alone, the nation received a substantial $295 million from USAID, now interrupted by the funding freeze.

Even service providers like Dr. Shamirah Nakitto, a clinician from Reach Out Mbuya, have been severely impacted. With the halt of USAID support, Dr. Nakitto and her colleagues have faced job losses, effectively ceasing operations that catered to as many as 200 patients daily with HIV and tuberculosis. The sudden nature of the freeze caught healthcare providers off guard, ending their vital support services abruptly.

In neighboring Malawi, the impact is equally devastating. Eddah Simfukwe Banda, a farmer obtaining ARVs from a clinic that is now closed, faces the prospect of being left without critical medication, an all-too-common reality for many who rely on these services for survival. The country has long been heavily dependent on donor support—America being its most significant partner. Without continued assistance, the situation is dire, as clinics shutter their doors and healthcare workers become inactive.

As health experts analyze the repercussions of the aid freeze, they anticipate the potential for increased morbidity and mortality rates among patients living with HIV. Winnie Byanyima, head of UNAids, warned of the drastic climbs in Aids-related deaths and infections should the funding not be restored.

In Africa, where healthcare systems have historically been dependent on foreign aid, the ongoing disruptions threaten years of progress in combating illnesses prevalent in low-income nations. The stark reality remains that for many, including Tusubira and Banda, the help once taken for granted has become a ghost that haunts their everyday existence.

With limited options, Tusubira is considering a return to his village where he can face whatever fate awaits him without the complexities of urban life. "If I die, they just bury me there," he shares, expressing the bleakness that looms over him and countless others.

Countries across Africa are grappling with the crisis, urging for immediate solutions to prevent a humanitarian disaster and restore essential healthcare services for those who have no recourse but to rely on external support.