Author: Erin Hale
Published on: 13/03/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
From 2010 to 2023, the number of cases caused by the most common malaria parasite declined from nearly half a million to fewer than 248,000, according to Global Fund. Nearly 229,000 of those cases were reported in a single country, Myanmar, where the illness exploded with the outbreak of a civil war in 2021. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has estimated that cases have risen 300 percent since the start of the civil war. The problem is that you don’t upend an imperfect system overnight,” Kyobutungi says. "It’s not just that people show up and dispense pills for medical resistance, there’s a whole structure” to humanitarian assistance. The full impact of the USAID cuts is yet to be seen, a humanitarian worker said. Founded by Republican President George W Bush 20 years ago, the projects are credited with saving more than 32 million lives. They are both funded by Congress but implemented through government agencies such as USAID. UNAIDS, a major partner of PEPFAR, said last month that it was notified the US government was terminating its relationship effective immediately. “What happens when we stopped treating tens of thousands of people for malaria? In a few weeks, rainy season is coming and then summer. It’s going to be a disaster,” she said.
Original: 1320 words
Summary: 214 words
Percent reduction: 83.79%