Co-founder and Director of Mieux Donner
Reading time : 10 min.
Since January 2025, the US administration has frozen a large part of its development aid, jeopardising thousands of global health and humanitarian aid programmes. To illustrate the consequences with a striking example, every day, 1,400 babies are born with HIV, although they would be free of it if programmes to help their mothers had not been frozen. Other countries have also cut their development aid, worsening the situation and threatening crucial progress in the fight against preventable diseases.
Encouraging effective, well-targeted international aid is essential to prevent major health crises. This aid is not just a question of solidarity, it is also a strategic investment in a more stable and secure future.
Despite this crisis and the drastic reduction in funding, some organisations are continuing their work and are still saving lives. GiveWell, the leading evaluator of high-impact charities, confirmed to us that donations to the charities listed on our page remain among the most effective ways of taking action.
Since January 2025, the US administration has frozen a large part of its international development aid, profoundly disrupting emergency and global health funding. This interruption affects some of the most effective programmes in terms of lives saved and diseases prevented.
To give an idea of the scale of this disaster, the interruption of the HIV programme alone causes more deaths every day than if an Airbus A350 crashed and killed everyone on board [1].
Faced with this crisis, it is essential to understand the consequences of this brutal reduction in funding and to explore the means of action available. Which initiatives are under threat? Which programmes are still the most effective in tackling this crisis? And above all, how can we provide a concrete response?
The freezing of funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is leading to a massive loss of support for global health initiatives. USAID accounted for around 40% of global public health funding, or around $23 billion a year [2]. Crucial programmes such as the President’s Malaria Initiative and PEPFAR (the HIV/AIDS programme) have been hit hard.
Among the consequences identified:
USAID didn’t just fund humanitarian projects: it structured international aid by providing expertise and essential infrastructure. In addition to direct funding, the agency supported health surveillance, training and drug distribution systems in areas where governments were often absent. The abrupt end of this support jeopardises much more than just financial flows.
The shock is not limited to the United States: many Western countries have also cut their international aid [7], amplifying the impact of the crisis. The Netherlands (-30%), Belgium (-25%), France (-37%) and the UK (-40%) have all cut their international aid budgets.
With USAID funding frozen and Official Development Assistance (ODA) falling in several countries, it is essential to remember that ODA is not simply an act of charity, but a strategic investment in a more stable and secure future. As individuals concerned with global health issues, we may want to take action to reduce suffering in the world and refuse to allow crucial funding to be withheld when it can save lives. While some political leaders share this sensitivity, ODA is above all a powerful lever for crisis prevention and global stability.
By supporting global health, poverty reduction and climate resilience programmes, ODA makes it possible to anticipate and prevent humanitarian crises which, without intervention, would have repercussions far beyond the recipient countries. It is an essential tool for diplomacy and international stability, helping to reduce geopolitical tensions and forced migration by tackling the root causes of conflict and instability.
While we defend international aid for its ability to directly improve lives, it is crucial to remember that it has major political and economic benefits. Reducing it is not only morally wrong, it is a short-sighted strategy that will make future crises harder to manage.
ODA is not an expense, but a powerful lever for action to make the world more resilient. But it cannot work without public support and citizen involvement. Each and every one of us can play a part by speaking out, voting and supporting effective action.
Faced with these budget cuts, it is essential to direct our aid towards initiatives that save the most lives and improve global health in the most effective way possible. The sudden end to USAID funding is jeopardising many essential interventions, but associations are continuing to act on the ground and need resources to continue their work.
Other funds are emerging in direct response to budget cuts:
These initiatives do not qualify for tax relief in France, so if you would like personalised advice on your donations, we can help.
Some organisations have already demonstrated that they are making major improvements for the most vulnerable populations. These organisations are monitored by independent evaluators, who analyse the interventions in terms of their impact on avoidable mortality and illness. We have heard directly from GiveWell, the lead evaluator on the effectiveness of health and poverty interventions, who confirms that their current recommendations remain among the best options for addressing the most urgent needs:
Against Malaria Foundation: Distributes treated mosquito nets to combat malaria, one of the main causes of infant mortality in certain regions.
Helen Keller International: Provides vitamin A supplements, a simple and inexpensive intervention that drastically reduces infant mortality.
New Incentives: Encourages the vaccination of infants by providing financial support to families, thereby protecting more children against preventable diseases.
These associations can be accessed via Mieux Donner, enabling them to benefit from tax relief in France.
The USAID funding freeze is jeopardising programmes that prevent disease and save lives every day. By supporting the most effective associations, we still have the opportunity to take real action to tackle this crisis.
I am personally deeply affected by this crisis. I am deeply shocked to think that 1,400 babies are born with HIV every day, even though we have the means to prevent it. Faced with the scale of the suffering, it would be easy to give in to discouragement. But rather than letting myself be overwhelmed by helplessness, I ask myself what I can do in practical terms.
Each of us has a lever for action. Our voice counts: by raising awareness, calling on political leaders and demanding funding policies that meet the challenges, we can influence future decisions. By directing our generosity towards high-impact organisations, we can ensure that the most effective interventions continue to work despite this crisis. This means funding life-saving treatments, ensuring access to vaccines, distributing mosquito nets and supporting programmes that save lives every day.
At times like these, the best response is not inaction, but clear-sighted, determined commitment. We have the power to act – let’s use it.
[1] Between 24 January and the date of publication of this article (17 March), this represents 53 days and more than 22,500 deaths, i.e. more than 425 deaths per day. The capacity of an A350 varies according to model, but is generally between 325 and 440 passengers.
[2] https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/issue-brief/u-s-global-health-budget-figures/
[4] https://pepfar.impactcounter.com/
[5] Vox article
[6] BBC article
[7] Forbes article
[8] https://www.givewell.org/all-grants-fund
[9] https://www.founderspledge.com/funds/rapid-response-fund
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