TB Crisis Deepens as U.S. Aid Cuts Leave Millions Vulnerable

With U.S. foreign aid significantly slashed, thousands of tuberculosis patients, like Dalvin Modore in Kenya, face dire consequences as testing and medication become increasingly unavailable, potentially exacerbating the outbreak.

In a troubling public health crisis, the reduction in U.S. funding for tuberculosis (TB) programs has crippled treatment access for thousands of patients around the world. The recent cuts, implemented under the Trump administration, have left patients like 40-year-old Dalvin Modore in Kenya in a precarious situation as they suffer from severe TB symptoms, including persistent coughing and weight loss.

For Modore, his daily life is overshadowed by fear and pain, as he navigates his small farm while battling a debilitating illness. His plight reflects a growing alarm among healthcare workers and advocates who report that hundreds of thousands of TB patients have lost access to essential testing and medications. The decline in funding was marked when the Trump administration announced an aid freeze on January 20, coinciding with Inauguration Day, a move aimed at pushing other nations to enhance their contributions to global health funding.

In Kenya, where the country relies heavily on U.S. donations—covering everything from medical staff salaries to necessary lab resources—the consequences of these cuts have been devastating. With the U.S. previously contributing about half of international donor funding for TB, communities across Africa and Asia are feeling the brunt of this withdrawal. TB claims more lives globally than any other infectious disease, and with the system of diagnosis and treatment unraveling, health conditions are expected to deteriorate further.

The implications of these funding shifts raise critical questions regarding the future of global health initiatives and the prioritization of international aid. As patients like Modore continue to spread the disease while waiting for the return of support, advocates stress the urgency for countries, including the U.S., to reevaluate their commitments to fight TB and other pressing health challenges.