Extreme Medical Needs

The Extreme Need for Medicine in Sub-Saharan Africa Due to USAID Cuts and Their Impact on Makindu

Sub-Saharan Africa has long been one of the regions most burdened by infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, typhoid, and malaria. For decades, international aid has been a critical lifeline, helping to fund prevention programs, diagnostics, and essential treatments. However, recent cuts to USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funding threaten to reverse hard-won progress in controlling these diseases. The repercussions are particularly dire for vulnerable rural communities like Makindu, Kenya, where access to healthcare is already severely limited. Without urgent intervention, this funding shortfall could lead to a resurgence of preventable deaths and illness, especially among children.

The Consequences of USAID Funding Cuts

USAID has historically played a vital role in financing public health initiatives across Africa. Its programs support the procurement and distribution of antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV, tuberculosis treatment regimens, mosquito nets and antimalarials for malaria, and clean water initiatives that help prevent diseases like typhoid. With cuts projected to affect millions of dollars in annual aid, countries are being forced to reduce outreach efforts, limit medication availability, and even close down clinics.

In Makindu, a rural town in Kenya's eastern region, these funding cuts are already being felt. The nearest government health facility can be many miles away from where people live, especially in outlying areas where children walk barefoot on dirt paths to reach basic services. With reduced funding, community health outreach programs are scaling back or shutting down, and medications for life-threatening diseases are in critically short supply.

Impact on HIV, Tuberculosis, Typhoid, and Malaria

HIV

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over two-thirds of the global population living with HIV. In Kenya, an estimated 1.4 million people live with the virus, many of whom rely on free or subsidized antiretroviral therapy (ART) made possible by international donors, including USAID through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In Makindu, where poverty levels are high and stigma remains a barrier to testing, community-led HIV awareness and treatment support is essential. Without USAID backing, clinics are facing ART shortages, and outreach programs that encourage testing and adherence are being halted. This could lead to an increase in HIV transmission, drug resistance, and preventable AIDS-related deaths.

Tuberculosis

Kenya is also among the top 30 high-burden TB countries in the world. Tuberculosis thrives in overcrowded, poorly ventilated spaces and is often found in the same communities heavily impacted by HIV. Treatment requires a strict six-month course of antibiotics that many rural health systems cannot sustain without donor support. As USAID’s tuberculosis program funding dries up, diagnostic tools, treatment drugs, and transportation subsidies are becoming increasingly scarce. For children in Makindu, this means delayed diagnoses and incomplete treatment—factors that fuel the spread of TB and the emergence of drug-resistant strains.

Typhoid

Typhoid fever, caused by consuming contaminated food or water, is rampant in areas with inadequate sanitation. In rural eastern Kenya, water scarcity and poor infrastructure can contribute to frequent typhoid outbreaks. USAID-backed clean water projects and education campaigns had been making a difference in reducing incidence rates. With the cuts, fewer community health workers are available to teach hygiene practices, and water purification supplies are no longer consistently distributed. The result will be a resurgence of typhoid, particularly among children whose immune systems are weaker and whose access to timely care is severely limited.

Malaria

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of death for children under five in Kenya. The availability of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying programs, and access to effective medications like artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) has significantly reduced malaria mortality in the last two decades. But all of these interventions are heavily reliant on external funding. In the wake of the USAID cuts, families in Makindu will see increased cases of malaria, with fewer nets distributed and clinics out of stock on lifesaving drugs.

A Child’s Story: Amina’s Journey

To understand the human impact of these funding cuts, consider the story of Amina*, a 10-year-old girl living in a mud-walled hut with her guardian and two younger children in a remote part of the Makindu region. Their home is over seven miles from the nearest clinic, and there is no public transport. Last rainy season, Amina contracted typhoid after drinking from a contaminated water source. Her neighbor carried her for miles before finding a motorbike rider who could take them to the clinic—for a fee they couldn’t afford. When they arrived, the clinic was out of typhoid medication, and Amina had to wait several days before treatment was found.

Amina’s story is not unique. Across the Makindu region, countless children face similar health emergencies. The cuts to USAID mean fewer medications, fewer clinic staff, and fewer outreach programs to educate families and prevent such infections.

The Role of Makindu Children’s Center

Despite these challenges, hope remains through grassroots organizations like the Makindu Children’s Center (MCC). MCC provides health screenings, clean water access, nutritional support, and emergency medical transport to orphaned and vulnerable children. The Center ensures that children like Amina receive medical care, even when local clinics fail. They partner with local health providers and have established emergency funds to purchase medications when public supplies run dry.

In the face of dwindling international aid, MCC’s role is more critical than ever. They rely heavily on donations and partnerships to maintain their health services. Expanding their reach and resources will be vital to mitigating the impact of the USAID cuts on the most vulnerable populations.

The reduction in USAID funding is a public health emergency for sub-Saharan Africa, and its effects are devastating communities like Makindu. Diseases that had become manageable risk resurging and spreading unchecked. Organizations like Makindu Children’s Program are stepping into the gap, but we cannot do it alone. Renewed global attention, local investment, and individual support are urgently needed to ensure children like Amina have a chance at a healthy future. Please continue supporting Makindu Children’s Program and help save lives!

*name changed to protect identity