Tuberculosis Crisis Deepens in Kenya as U.S. Aid Cuts Take Toll

The withdrawal of U.S. funding for tuberculosis programs has left many in Kenya without access to vital treatment and testing, exacerbating the epidemic and putting communities at risk.

In western Kenya, the personal toll of tuberculosis (TB) is painfully evident in the life of 40-year-old Dalvin Modore. Once a robust farmer, Modore's weight has plummeted to just 110 pounds, his health deteriorating as he battles a vicious cough and alarming symptoms that include vomiting blood. Desperate for treatment, he embodies a broader crisis faced by many as access to essential healthcare resources sharply declines.

The recent aid cuts enacted by the Trump administration have placed additional strain on already fragile health systems, causing hundreds of thousands of people globally, particularly in Africa and Asia, to lose critical access to TB treatment and diagnostic testing. The United States had previously accounted for approximately half of the global funding for TB initiatives. Now, many patients, like Mr. Modore, find themselves increasingly vulnerable to the disease and capable of spreading it further within their families and communities.

Since the aid freeze began on January 20, the infrastructure for responding to TB—from finding and diagnosing to treating patients—has increasingly faltered. In Kenya, U.S. support funded everything from healthcare personnel to laboratory equipment essential for managing tuberculosis cases.

Administration officials have suggested that other nations should step up their financial contributions to combat global health issues, emphasizing a reevaluation of foreign aid contracts based on U.S. national interests. However, the immediate impact of this decision is apparent, with TB, the deadliest infectious disease worldwide, claiming more lives daily as systems collapse in the wake of funding reductions.

As communities grapple with the consequences of this funding shortfall, the urgent need for renewed support for TB programs becomes increasingly clear.