Uganda Among Hardest Hit by Trump’s Foreign Aid Cuts, Threatening Health Programs & Public Welfare

Uganda is one of the top 26 countries that face significant risks due to the reductions in U.S. foreign aid, particularly impacting health sector financing.

According to an analysis from the Washington, D.C.-based think tank, Centre for Global Development (CGD), Uganda ranks sixth in vulnerability, following Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Malawi, and Haiti.

Under the Trump administration, foreign aid to Uganda and other developing nations has been severely reduced, with a specific focus on cutting funding for health programs.

Uganda’s reliance on U.S. assistance has meant that the nation has been hit hard by these cuts, which threaten to disrupt vital public health programs, including those targeting HIV/AIDS and malaria.

The suspension of funding from U.S. government agencies like USAID has resulted in the withdrawal of life-saving resources and programs that are critical to managing diseases in Uganda and across the African continent.

In Uganda, the reduction in foreign aid is particularly concerning in light of the country’s high burden of diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.

The U.S. has been a primary donor to health programs in Uganda, helping fund the distribution of medications and the delivery of health services.

The Trump administration's decisions to curb these funds have left Ugandan health officials scrambling for alternative sources of support.

The Uganda AIDS Commission, for example, has called on the government to allocate additional funding to fill the gap left by reduced U.S. aid. The country needs an estimated 300 billion shillings to maintain its HIV/AIDS programs.

These aid cuts have also exacerbated the challenges Uganda faces in addressing outbreaks of diseases like cholera and Ebola.

With foreign aid no longer guaranteed, the country has been forced to explore other funding sources, including increasing domestic resource mobilization.

The long-term effect of this situation could be detrimental, as Uganda’s health infrastructure could suffer, and progress in combatting diseases could reverse.