Trump Administration Abolishes Key Global Health Research Initiative

The U.S. government's decision to discontinue a vital health data program raises concerns over the impact on global health metrics.

An influential program providing crucial public health data for nearly half of the world’s nations is being dismantled, following the Trump administration's decision to freeze foreign aid. The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have served as a primary source of reliable information concerning maternal and child health, nutrition, reproductive health, and H.I.V. infection rates across many low- and middle-income countries. These surveys are instrumental in establishing health benchmarks on both local and global scales, including the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

On Tuesday, program officials were informed via email that the DHS initiative would be “terminated for the convenience of the U.S. Government,” and were instructed to cease all operations immediately, halting all subcontracting and future ordering processes. As USAID faces significant budget cuts under the Trump administration, the anticipated layoffs of thousands of employees are likely to exacerbate the situation. The discontinuation of the DHS program means that gauging the fallout from these foreign aid reductions will be increasingly difficult in nations where health infrastructures are already fragile.

Global health professionals have expressed alarm at the implications of losing such a critical resource for tracking health-related data. Demographer Win Brown of the University of Washington emphasized the challenges that will arise in effectively designing and assessing public health initiatives without the comprehensive data supplied by the DHS. The loss of this program represents a significant setback in the global effort to monitor and improve public health outcomes in regions that depend heavily on international aid and support.