Trump Administration Seeks to Shift $2 Billion in CDC Global Health Funds to State Department
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17
Trump Administration Seeks to Shift $2 Billion in CDC Global Health Funds to State Department
2 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 over many overseas health programs and replace its usual roughly $2 billion budget with a fee-for-service model.
Under that system, countries would buy specific CDC services from a 34-item menu, a shift critics say would weaken outbreak surveillance, lab networks, immunizations and HIV programs by tying support to what governments choose to pay for.
Officials and former staff said the overhaul could close about a third of the CDC's 60 country offices within three years and destabilize PEPFAR, which has saved 26 million lives and supports treatment for more than 12 million people.
The State Department and HHS said the change would modernize a fragmented system, preserve CDC capabilities and even increase overseas funding, rejecting claims that State-driven decisions would force office closures.
The proposal follows last year's USAID dismantling and delayed PEPFAR transfers that left the CDC with $1.3 billion, reinforcing fears that a broader move toward transactional bilateral aid will erode U.S.-backed global disease control.
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.