Mahama: Aid cuts could push 5.7m Africans into poverty
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President John Dramani Mahama has warned that recent reductions in foreign development assistance to Africa could trigger a sharp rise in poverty across the continent, with millions of people expected to face worsening economic and health conditions if funding gaps remain unresolved.
Speaking before global health leaders at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the Ghanaian President said projections linked to the suspension of key United States aid programmes paint a troubling picture for vulnerable countries heavily reliant on external support.
According to him, the social and economic fallout from the aid cuts could affect millions of Africans within the next two years.
“It is estimated that the direct consequences of these aid suspensions could push about 5.7 million Africans into poverty by the end of 2026,” Mr Mahama told delegates.
He indicated that the implications extend beyond economic hardship, warning that disruptions in healthcare financing may eventually translate into a major public health crisis across developing nations.
“We were told that by 2030, 9 million preventable deaths could occur due to these shifts,” he disclosed.
Mr Mahama used the international gathering to intensify calls for African countries to rethink their dependence on donor-backed healthcare systems, arguing that the current model leaves nations dangerously exposed whenever global political or economic priorities change.
The President said the time had come for African governments to invest more aggressively in self-sustaining healthcare structures capable of withstanding external funding shocks.
His remarks come amid growing concern over the impact of declining international aid on health systems across the continent, particularly after several donor countries scaled back overseas support following the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic pressures.
Mr Mahama also referenced Ghana’s own experience, revealing that the country had already lost approximately $78 million following the United States’ decision to suspend some aid programmes targeting African nations.
The lost funding, according to the President, affected major health interventions, including programmes focused on malaria control, maternal and child healthcare, nutrition and HIV/AIDS treatment.
At the Assembly, he called for what he described as a fundamental restructuring of global health financing arrangements, insisting that Africa’s long-term healthcare stability cannot continue to depend largely on external donor commitments.
The World Health Assembly in Geneva has brought together heads of state, policymakers, international agencies, and health experts to deliberate on emerging global health threats, financing challenges, and strategies for strengthening health systems worldwide.
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