The withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO) brings increased risks for countries like Angola, in the health system, in the detection of health threats and on a social level, warns an article published in The Lancet.
The article signed by six researchers from Angolan and Brazilian universities in the scientific journal points out that countries like Angola depend heavily on support from the WHO, which leads initiatives to combat communicable diseases, including malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other emerging infectious threats, with the United States being a ‘substantial’ financial contributor.
In the first days of his second term, US President Donald Trump suspended all international aid for 90 days, with the exception of humanitarian food programmes and military aid to Israel and Egypt, and announced his withdrawal from the WHO.
Angola was the second Portuguese-speaking country to receive the most aid from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2023, after Mozambique. Last year it signed a new agreement for the 2024-2027 period that included total funding of $235 million (€226 million), with programmes aimed at combating malaria and improving health, as well as energy and support for women farmers.
In the article, Mauer Gonçalves, Humberto Severin de Morais, Cristiana Furtado, Rafael Lacerda, Júlio Claudino do Santos, and Howard Júnior point out that the US withdrawal from the WHO threatens funding for vaccines, surveillance systems, and other essential health care.
‘A breakdown in these mechanisms could lead to delays in the response during outbreaks, a reduction in vaccination coverage and an increase in morbidity and mortality rates,’ the academics point out, noting Angola’s “limited capacity” to manage complex health crises independently.
In addition to the scarcity of resources in health infrastructures, WHO capacity building and training programmes have been essential for strengthening epidemiological surveillance and response capacity.
‘Without this support, Angola and other similar countries may struggle to effectively detect and mitigate health threats, which could have repercussions at the regional and global level,’ the article emphasises.
The researchers also point to social implications, as greater pressure on health systems can exacerbate poverty through increased household spending, loss of productivity due to illness, and diversion of income to health care, jeopardising schooling.
‘These combined challenges risk deepening inequalities and jeopardising progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the region,’ they continue, considering that for Angola, ’the immediate consequence is a precarious gap in support during a time of growing uncertainty in global health.’
The article also calls on the international community, including regional organisations such as the African Union, to ‘try to resolve this potential vacuum’ and advocate priority for sustained funding and technical support for WHO initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa to safeguard public health and regional stability.
Lusa
