Mahama warns USAID shutdown could push 5.7 million Africans into poverty
President John Dramani Mahama has raised concern over the wider humanitarian and economic consequences of the cessation of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) operations, warning that about 5.7 million Africans could be pushed into poverty by the end of 2026.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday, May 18, the President said recent shifts in global development assistance were already having severe impacts on health systems and vulnerable populations across Africa.
He noted that abrupt funding withdrawals, including those linked to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programmes in parts of Africa, have resulted in clinic closures, disruptions to gender-based violence interventions, and uncertainty over treatment continuity for millions of people living with HIV. He cited South Africa as one of the countries affected, where an estimated 1.4 million patients are reported to be impacted.
President Mahama further warned that projections suggest up to nine million preventable deaths could occur by 2030 if the decline in global health assistance continues, describing the situation as a major threat to global health security.
“It is estimated that the direct consequences of this aid suspension could push about 5.7 million Africans into poverty by the end of 2026,” he said, stressing that the impact extends beyond health to broader socio-economic stability.
The remarks follow the formal shutdown of USAID operations on July 1, 2025, which ended more than six decades of United States-led development assistance supporting sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and governance across Africa.
Reports indicate that the closure followed an internal review under the United States’ “America First” policy direction, which cited concerns about inefficiencies and mismanagement in foreign aid systems, leading to a restructuring of global development assistance delivery.
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