Trump’s directive will stop the flow of HIV and malaria medications to underdeveloped nations, according to reports

According to a document seen by Reuters, the Trump administration has taken steps to halt the flow of medical supplies for newborns as well as life-saving medications for HIV, malaria, and TB in nations that USAID supports worldwide.

According to reports, contractors and partners of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) started getting these memoranda on Tuesday, telling them to cease work right now. The action is a component of a larger suspension on U.S. financing and help that has been in effect since Trump took office on January 20 while programs are examined.

One such email was sent to Chemonics, a sizable American consulting business that collaborates with USAID on the global supply of medications for a variety of ailments.

According to one USAID source and a former USAID official who spoke to Reuters, the letter discusses the company’s efforts on HIV, malaria, and TB as well as contraception and supplies for mother and child health.

“This is catastrophic,” stated Atul Gawande, who departed USAID last month after serving as the organization’s former chief of global health. “Twenty million people with HIV are still alive because to donated medication supplies. Today is the last day of that.

Requests for response from Reuters were not immediately answered by USAID or Chemonics.

Patients run the danger of becoming ill and, in the case of HIV in particular, spreading the infection to others when their medical treatment is interrupted. Gawande said that it might potentially lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains.

According to him, other partners had also been notified that they would not be permitted to operate clinics that were supported by the United States or provide medications to clinics, even if they had them on hand.

“That includes organizations that work with vulnerable children with HIV and 6.5 million orphans in 23 countries,” he added.

On January 20, the day he took office, Trump issued an order to halt foreign development aid for 90 days while evaluations of its effectiveness and alignment with U.S. foreign policy were conducted.

About 60 top career officials at USAID have also been placed on leave by his administration, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters on Monday.

The world’s largest single contributor is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in life-saving help due to the administration’s actions. The United States provided $72 billion in aid in fiscal year 2023. In 2024, it supplied 42% of all humanitarian aid monitored by the UN.