Dr. Chris Beyrer: Cuts to USAID Harm the Health and Prosperity of US Citizens

The opinions expressed by Dr. Beyrer are his own and not those of his employer.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Chris Beyrer discuss the importance of USAID, highlighting its role in global health and development, particularly through programs like PEPFAR, which has saved 25 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections. Dr. Beyrer emphasizes that the economic and security benefits of USAID, whose support amounts to less than 1% of the total US federal budget, have had important benefits at home in the United States.  It protects us from infectious diseases like Ebola and MPOX.  Cuts to USAID could lead to a resurgence of HIV, polio, malaria, and other diseases. Finally, Dr. Beyrer advocates for listeners to become informed, to understand what is happening, and to engage in their citizenship rights for the benefit of all. 

 

 Key Takeaways:

• By law, USAID was only allowed to buy food from US farmers, but stopping USAID has thrown farmers into crisis due to the unstable purchasing now. 

• Until January 20, 2025, USAID was supporting about 21 million people worldwide on antiviral therapy. It was also one of the biggest funders and supporters of HIV prevention because treatment is not enough - you must reduce new infections to get out from under the treatment burden.

• The only group right now that we are supporting PrEP for is pregnant or lactating, breastfeeding mothers who are at risk for HIV. Everybody else who is on PrEP has been abruptly halted. 2025 could be the year that we see the beginning of the second wave of the AIDS pandemic. 

 

"These programs really save lives. They have saved millions of lives. We know that; we've documented it carefully. It is so important to be informed, to stay informed, to understand what is happening, and really to engage. Now, more than ever, engage in your citizenship rights." —  Dr. Chris Beyrer

 

Connect with Dr. Chris Beyrer:

Professional Bio: https://globalhealth.duke.edu/people/beyrer-chris 

 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

 

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