Myanmar continues to pick through the rubble after a pair of earthquakes struck a week ago, killing more than 3,000 people as of Thursday. The disaster arrived the same day the White House informed Congress of its intentions to eliminate any remaining staff not mandated by law from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Onlookers noted how USAID's dismantling allowed China to dominate relief efforts in Myanmar.
Updates from the tragedy, plus the burgeoning trade war, quickly eclipsed another pivotal development in global health: the U.S. decision to pull funding from Gavi, a global initiative that has vaccinated more than 1 billion children since its launch in 2000. CFR Global Health Senior Fellow Prashant Yadav and Research Associate Chloe Searchinger detail how the funding cut could leave Gavi with three options to downsize its operations—and invite China to grow its strategic influence in low- or middle-income countries.
Next, Michelle D. Gavin, CFR's senior fellow for Africa policy, probes why many African politicians have remained quiet on the U.S. realignment of foreign aid, stating, "No one wishes to turn the eye of Sauron their way."
Pivoting to U.S. domestic policy, Columbia University Population and Family Health Professor Thoai D. Ngo delves into the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission and its mission to remedy the nation's high levels of chronic disease. To accomplish that, Ngo urges policymakers to address the root causes of income inequality.
This week's edition culminates with dating apps—namely an examination led by global health practitioner Tegan Mosugu of how the digital platforms could unlock at-home HIV testing for underserved populations.
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Of the 54 countries eligible for Gavi's vaccine cofinancing, 11 qualify for the accelerated transition phase—a five-year period where the country boosts its vaccine spending until it is fully self-financed.
Those countries face the biggest fallout from the U.S. decision to stop funding for Gavi, and they are already within the strategic focus of China's broader foreign influence strategy. Since 2000, China has provided more than $89 billion in cumulative development assistance to those nations—all of which are members of the Belt and Road Initiative.
