The Trump administration ends the global health research program

A unclear but influential program that provided detailed information about public health about half of the world nations will fit as a result of the freezing of Trump’s administration regarding foreign assistance.

Thanks to financing from the United States International Development Agency, demographic and health surveys were the only sources of information in many countries on health and mortality for mothers and children, nutrition, reproductive health and HIV infections, among many other health indicators.

The surveys collected data in 90 countries with low and medium income, which then used this information to establish health reference points at the local, national and global level, including the purposes of sustainable development in 2030. adopted by the member states of the United Nations.

On Tuesday, the program administrators learned that it was “dissolved for the convenience of the US government”, due to the immediate message e -mail viewed by the Recent York Times. They were ordered to “stop the whole work, finish the subcontractors and not place any further orders.”

Trump’s administration dismantles USAID; Thousands of layoffs were expected in the coming days. Without future research, it will be almost impossible to measure the influence of these cuts of foreign assistance on citizens in nations without significant health infrastructure.

Some global health experts reacted to the death of the program with horror.

“It is really hard for me to understand how you can implement thoughtful programs in public health and monitor progress towards strategic goals, if you do not have data available in DHS,” said Win Brown, Demograph at the University of Washington.

“You can’t follow what is happening, you can’t formulate a strategy, you can’t make changes based on how your data changes,” he added.

It was not clear what could happen with research that has been collected in the last decades or with ongoing surveys in 25 countries. “We have to find a way to save this data and I think it’s feasible,” said Livia Montana, technical director of the program.

The surveys were conducted since 1984. Financing was about $ 500 million in five years, of which about half came from USAID and half from other donors, including nations themselves.

Some countries, such as India, have almost completely taken over the financing of their own research. Research is widely seen as necessary.

“The impact of these disturbances resounds at the local, regional, national and global level”, a group of several dozen experts warned February 13.

Some United Nations assess the health of children and teenagers in some countries, while others measure household income or agriculture production.

However, demographic and health research, collected every five years, recorded all critical aspects of household health, including mortality data, height and weight and nutrition of children and adults, education and reading skills, as well as access to neat water and mobile phones.

“Malnutrition indicators are among the most vital” because they can reflect a number of social factors, said Dr. Montana. The surveys also separately evaluated the indicators of malaria and health facilities.

Estimates of mortality of mothers and children are extremely vital in countries that do not have good death registration systems. The surveys also measured the size of the family, which may indicate the availability of family planning, but also reflect wider social factors, including access to education for girls.

Dr. Brown used, for example, surveys to compare contraceptive utilize among women in countries such as Egypt, Pakistan and India for decades. “In a survey like DHS you are on earth, you talk to real people about their real homes in real communities,” he said.

Like other projects financed from foreign assistance, the program was able to stop work before termination. Everyone except 11 employees were on vacation without remuneration, and his relations with contractors ended a few weeks ago.

Some domestic governments informed about detention expressed concern and empathy, and a few asked if they could pay for the end of the work. Dr. Montana said that others took this step.

“It’s as if they have experienced more of this kind in which political winds change immediately,” she said.