Experts alarmed as US abruptly halts life-saving support: 'The suddenness of this is huge'

U.S. funding for malaria aid and research is on hold, prompting concerns for public health.

What's happening?

The United States has supplied around 40% of global funding for malaria aid and research, according to the Philippines-based news site Inquirer.net. As the Trump administration vows to pull out from international aid, experts are worried about the effect this could have on the fight against this life-threatening disease in Africa, where new variants and signs of drug and insecticide resistance have emerged. 

As a result of the funding cuts, the Malaria Consortium has already fired staff in Mozambique and halted a program in Asia that trained people to monitor and control mosquitoes.

"The suddenness of this is huge," James Tibenderana, the organization's chief executive, told the news site.

Why are these funding cuts important?

The World Health Organization estimates that malaria kills around 597,000 globally each year, with 95% of those occurring in Africa. Children under five years old account for 76% of deaths in the region.

Meanwhile, malaria looks to become even more problematic. For one, the Asia-native Anopheles stephensi mosquito has started to spread across East Africa, Inquirer.net reported. This species thrives in urban environments, putting an additional 126 million African people at risk for the disease, according to a 2020 study cited by the publication. 

In addition, an overheating planet is contributing to the expansion of malaria-carrying mosquitoes into new territories. For instance, one report found that malaria risk zones are expanding into higher elevations in the Ethiopian Highlands, a region of high-altitude plateaus and mountains reaching above 14,000 feet. 

What's being done about malaria?

In the face of funding cuts from the U.S., Tibenderana said he hopes that other governments and institutions, such as the World Bank, will step up.

This could help public health advocates continue with important projects across the region such as the implementation of anti-mosquito bed nets that were estimated to have saved 25,000 lives in Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire during a test period.

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Meanwhile, scientists are exploring methods to help cull mosquito populations. For instance, one team found a way to infect male mosquitoes of one malaria-carrying species with a fungus that kills biting females soon after mating.

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