Musk Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over USAID Ebola Cuts as Lancet Study Warns of 14 Million Deaths
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
Musk Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over USAID Ebola Cuts as Lancet Study Warns of 14 Million Deaths
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
Summary
Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak has revived criticism of Elon Musk's role in cutting USAID detection and response programs, which he last year said were "accidentally" slashed through Doge.
Former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk and researcher Davide Rasella said those cuts weakened surveillance and preparedness, arguing the outbreak could have been detected earlier if global health programs had remained intact.
A Lancet study estimated abolishing USAID entirely could lead to 14 million deaths, including 4.5 million children; Rasella, a co-author, said exact losses from the cuts are hard to isolate but likely will reach millions.
Musk has rejected blame, saying critics cannot name deaths tied to the cuts, threatening to sue after Representative Ro Khanna cited the study, and accusing a journalist who named victims of lying.
The dispute broadens beyond Ebola: critics say dismantling USAID has already damaged health, nutrition and education programs worldwide, while Congress still has a chance to restore funding before wider harms deepen.
As an Ebola crisis unfolds, who is now winning the battle for global influence in the void left by USAID?
Elon Musk's war on waste may cost millions of lives. Can the man who dismantled America's foreign aid be held accountable?
From USAID’s Dismantling to 23 Million Deaths: How U.S. Policy Shift Fueled the 2026 Ebola Outbreak and Global Health Crisis
Overview
In May 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo faced a severe Ebola outbreak, with over 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths. The crisis was worsened by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which standard tests could not detect, causing critical delays in diagnosis and response. Samples had to be sent from Ituri province to Kinshasa for identification, increasing the time between infection and confirmed case management. These delays allowed the virus to spread further, highlighting the challenges in outbreak containment and the urgent need for stronger global health systems.