Some malaria, HIV, TB programme cuts reversed by US, groups say

Some lifesaving health projects that had their US funding contracts abruptly terminated last week have received letters reversing that decision, several of the groups told Reuters.

The aid recipients said the decisions were promising but that their work remains in limbo as funding for their projects from the world's biggest donor had not yet restarted.

The Trump administration cancelled about 90% of contracts funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US state department, sending shock waves across the global aid community.

Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, said his organisation's letter reversing that decision arrived late on Wednesday.

“I think it's good news. We need to wait in the coming days to get additional guidance,” he said. “Our priority is saving lives, so the earlier we can get started to continue saving lives the better.”

However, Charles said that would be difficult unless funding started to flow again.

Work on the USAID-funded supply chain for malaria drugs, nets and tests could also restart, one contractor was told, but they are still awaiting payment for past invoices.

Some US foreign aid contractors and grant recipients will take their fight to get payments restored to a federal judge in the US on Thursday.

A US state department spokesperson said the Trump administration had been working to review every dollar spent “to ensure taxpayer resources are being used to make America safer, stronger and more prosperous” and had reviewed about 15,600 awards, contracts and grants, but did not respond to questions about why some terminations had been reversed and others not, or on restarting funding.

Other programmes hosted by the UN and partly funded by the US, including the Stop TB Partnership, also had termination notices reversed.

“It sounds good but we cannot draw down money and we have no clarity,” said Lucica Ditiu, executive director of the Stop TB Partnership.

In Kenya, USAID officials told health organisations on Wednesday terminations of contracts funded by the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief had been rescinded, Nelson Otwoma, the director of a national network for people living with HIV/Aids, said.

This means organisations can start lifesaving HIV care and treatment services again, said Otwoma, who attended the meeting in Nairobi.

Kenya's health ministry, which convened Wednesday's meeting, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump ordered a 90-day pause on all US foreign aid on his first day back in office. The ensuing stop work orders halted USAID operations around the world and jeopardised the delivery of lifesaving food and medical aid, throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos. The administration has also placed most USAID staff on leave and eliminated 1,600 jobs.

Subsequent waivers for some of the work added to the confusion, followed by the terminations last week.

Reuters