A new study in The Lancet warns that global health funding will drop to a 15-year low of US39billionin2025,downfromahighofUS80 billion in 2021, ushering in an "era of global health austerity." This sharp decline is primarily driven by significant foreign aid cuts from the United States (67%), the UK (40%), France (33%), and Germany (12%).

The cuts will disproportionately affect sub-Saharan African countries like Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Malawi, which heavily rely on international aid for their health systems. The impact is expected to be severe, hindering the treatment and prevention of diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Another Lancet study estimates that US foreign aid cuts alone could lead to over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030, a figure comparable to the fatalities in World War I. Researchers are urging an urgent increase in health aid and for nations to seek alternative funding sources.