By Rodney Muhumuza and Chinedu Asadu
Malaria season begins this month in a large part of Africa. No disease is deadlier on the continent, especially for children. But the Trump administration’s decision to terminate 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts has local health officials warning of catastrophe in some of the world’s poorest communities.
Dr. Jimmy Opigo, who runs Uganda’s malaria control program, told The Associated Press that USAID stop-work orders issued in late January left him and others “focusing on disaster preparedness.” The U.S. is the top bilateral funder of anti-malaria efforts in Africa.
Anti-malarial medicines and insecticide-treated bed nets to help control the mosquito-borne disease are “like our groceries,” Opigo said. “There’s got to be continuous supply.”
As those dwindle with the U.S.-terminated contracts, he expects a rise in cases later this year of severe malaria, which includes problems like organ failure. There is no cure. Vaccines being rolled out in parts of Africa are imperfect but
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