US aid cuts increase strain on African healthcare, report warns

A new Accra Reset report warns that the United States’ recent withdrawal from several aid programs is intensifying pressure on health systems across Africa and the broader Global South. The analysis links the Trump administration’s reductions to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the lingering effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic and rising global living costs, describing these factors as creating “new urgency” for regional health reform.

The report calls on countries in the region and the Global South to assume greater control over their own health development, arguing that reliance on external funding has become increasingly precarious. It recommends accelerated investment in domestic health infrastructure, stronger regional coordination, and diversified financing mechanisms to mitigate the strain caused by diminished U.S. assistance and broader economic challenges.