Lives Cut Short? Study Says US Foreign Aid Cuts Could Derail TB War Worldwide

'Can cause additional 22 lakh deaths in high-burden TB countries, including India'

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NEW DELHI: Recent cuts to US foreign aid could impact tuberculosis programmes in high-burden countries like India, potentially resulting in additional 22 lakh deaths over the next five years, a study has estimated.

The US contributed over 55 per cent of foreign funds for tuberculosis (TB) programmes in 2024, researchers from the US-based Avenir Health and 'Stop TB Partnership, a United Nations entity, said.

In March, President Donald Trump's administration announced an 83 per cent cut to all programmes at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).