Why slashing global health funding puts everyone at risk

Dar es Salaam. A quiet but devastating crisis is unfolding globally— threatening not only the health of the poorest but the safety and security of us all.

New data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) shows development assistance for health (DAH) is set to fall by a staggering 51 percent to $39 billion in 2025, down from a historic high of $80 billion in 2021.

More concerningly, if current policies remain unchanged, DAH will drop further to $36 billion by 2030 — the lowest level in 15 years.

At first glance, these may appear as distant budget decisions made in Washington, London, Paris or Berlin.

Yet the consequences are far-reaching and deeply personal. Cutting global health funding is not just a blow to nations battling diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis or HIV.

It is a reckless gamble with global health security, one that could leave every country, including Tanzania, more vulnerable to deadly outbreaks, drug-resistant superbugs and humanitarian crises.

Health security is a global web

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it is that pathogens do not respect  borders. A virus can emerge in a market stall or remote forest and spread worldwide within weeks, crippling economies and overwhelming health systems.

Programmes funded by DAH — from disease surveillance to vaccination campaigns — form the first line of defence against such threats. When funding disappears, so does the early warning system that could save millions of lives.

Consider Ebola. Rapid containment of outbreaks in West Africa relied heavily on international cooperation, funding and trained health workers. Without DAH, such swift responses become impossible.

Or antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The silent rise of drug-resistant infections. Underfunded health systems provide fertile ground for resistant strains to develop and spread.

Left unchecked, AMR could push us into a terrifying future where common infections become untreatable, putting millions worldwide at risk.

Tanzania and regional fallout

For Tanzania and many African nations, DAH is not a luxury — it is lifeblood. Millions depend on donor-funded programmes for HIV treatment, malaria prevention, maternal health and child immunisations.

Cuts to global health aid threaten to reverse decades of progress, pushing vulnerable communities back into poverty and disease.

Furthermore, Tanzania is an emerging trade and tourism hub. Its ports, airports and borders witness significant movement of people and goods. A health crisis here can quickly escalate into a regional, if not global, emergency.

Reducing DAH leaves fewer resources to detect, contain and combat infectious diseases — jeopardising local wellbeing and international security.

Some argue donor countries must prioritise domestic spending. True — budgets are tight everywhere. But slashing health aid is a false economy.

The cost of preventing pandemics, supporting vaccination drives or funding basic health services is a fraction of what responding to a spiralling outbreak costs.

COVID-19 cost the global economy an estimated $12 trillion in two years. Compared to the $80 billion peak of DAH in 2021, the choice is clear.

Shared responsibility

This is not solely a donor issue. African nations, including Tanzania, must increase domestic health financing, reduce corruption and ensure funds reach those in need.

Yet, even with the best intentions, many lower-income countries lack resources to fill the gaps that massive DAH cuts would leave.

Health security must be recognised as a shared responsibility. The viruses and bacteria threatening poor nations today could threaten wealthy ones tomorrow.

As debates rage in foreign parliaments over aid cuts or fund reallocations, policymakers must remember: global health aid is not charity — it is insurance. Cutting it puts us all at risk.