US to stop funding global vaccine initiative: reports

The United States plans to stop funding global vaccine initiative Gavi, a move that will put the lives of millions of children, especially those in developing nations, at risk. The Trump administration is set to end US funding for Gavi, the global vaccine initiative, and scale back malaria efforts, according to documents obtained by The New York Times on Wednesday. The report says, a 281-page spreadsheet from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), sent to Congress on Monday night, outlines the cuts to foreign aid programmes. The plan includes terminating over 5,000 programmes while continuing just under 900, with a sharp reduction in the overall budget. Gavi, which provides vaccines to children in developing countries, will lose $2.6 billion in US support. Millions of children at risk Experts warn this will result in 75 million children missing vaccinations over five years and 1.2 million deaths. The US has been a major donor to Gavi, contributing 13% of its budget. The cuts also impact malaria control programmes in countries like Cameroon and Tanzania. According to the NYT, the administration has decided to continue grants for medications to treat HIV and tuberculosis, as well as food aid for countries affected by civil wars and natural disasters.