Putting people before politics

Pictured above: We work with midwives to support families during and after pregnancy

Policies like the Trump administration’s cuts to overseas development and humanitarian aid funding are having a terrible impact globally. Millions of people have lost access to essential services like healthcare, education, and emergency food assistance.

In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health has told regional authorities to terminate over 5,000 staff who were supporting healthcare and emergency response efforts across the country.

“The USAID freeze has…reversed decades of gains and progress in health. Government health services, including tuberculosis, malaria and HIV treatment, have been interrupted and patients taking medication were abruptly left without treatment. Humanitarian programmes have faced funding cuts; life-saving maternal and child health and nutrition programmes are unable to continue.” – Dr Tadesse Kassaye Woldetsadik, Health Poverty Action, Head of Programmes for Africa

Pictured above: In Myanmar we support vital health services in remote communities

In the aftermath of the decision to restrict US funding for ‘international development’, other politicians are choosing to reduce their countries’ social development spending, too. Already, the UK, Switzerland, France and Holland have announced cuts to aid spending.

The combination of these cuts means that communities, organisations and governments across the world are having to dramatically and quickly change how they work, so that they can continue to support efforts to tackle poverty, keep people healthy and challenge injustice.

“This abrupt termination…happened while governments in the developing world are not ready to cover much of the gaps created and yet to be created, resulting in negative impacts on the lives of millions of vulnerable people in these countries.” – Dr Tadesse Kassaye Woldetsadik, Health Poverty Action, Head of Programmes for Africa

In the coming years, we face a global humanitarian crisis that undermines years of progress in public health, exacerbating injustices and deepening health disparities. As communities are likely to have their health systems completely destabilised, Health Poverty Action and others need to try to minimise the damage. Our work in marginalised areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America means we are well placed to bridge gaps other organisations can no longer perform.

“Any support…from individual donors could help fill the sudden gaps created as a result of aid cuts, where life-saving support could continue targeting the most needy.” – Dr Tadesse Kassaye Woldetsadik, Health Poverty Action, Head of Programmes for Africa

Pictured above: We help communities in Guatemala advocate for women’s rights

As politicians’ choices make it harder to secure funding to tackle poverty, promote health and address systemic inequality, we need to come together to create the change we want to see.

Whatever you can give will help communities develop and sustain vital health services and social development initiatives, even when politicians and major funders are unwilling to support them.

• A regular donation of £10 a month could cover the cost of specialist training for one rural nurse each year

• A regular donation of £14 a month could pay a month’s salary for a nurse treating people who are acutely malnourished each year

• A regular donation of £20 a month could help to provide 128 undernourished children with the emergency food needed to improve their health each year