Trump Administration Cuts CDC Global Health Role, Threatening 20 of 60 Country Offices
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17
Trump Administration Cuts CDC Global Health Role, Threatening 20 of 60 Country Offices
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17
Summary
Oct. 1 is the target date for a State Department plan that would strip the CDC of oversight across many global health programs and move most funding and decision-making authority to State.
About a third of the CDC’s 60 country offices could close within three years, officials said, reducing support for outbreak detection, laboratory networks and childhood immunization work.
PEPFAR is central to the overhaul: the proposal would curb the CDC’s authority in the HIV program, which has been credited with saving 26 million lives since 2003.
The shift comes as health officials race to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, underscoring concerns that sidelining CDC expertise could weaken U.S. global disease response.
Amidst a new Ebola crisis, how does cutting global health programs actually make America safer?
As America retreats from global health leadership, which countries are now filling the void?
If U.S. health aid is now tied to mineral rights, what does this mean for future humanitarian crises?
U.S. Global Health Cuts 2025–2026: The Collapse of American Leadership and the Rise of Global Health Risks
Overview
Since January 2025, U.S. global health engagement has changed dramatically due to major policy shifts by the Trump administration. These changes included significant budget cuts, dismantling of key programs like PEPFAR, and a withdrawal from international health initiatives. As a result, the capacity to respond to health crises and maintain public health infrastructure has been severely weakened. The retreat from global health leadership and the end of CDC support in many countries have left both the U.S. and vulnerable nations less prepared for outbreaks, marking a new and more precarious era for global health security.