The Trump administration is set to discontinue a pivotal global health research initiative that provided detailed public health data to approximately half of the world's nations, thanks to a freeze on foreign aid. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) served as a primary source of reliable information on maternal and child health, child mortality, nutritional status, reproductive health, and HIV infections in various regions.
Conducted every five years, these surveys offered critical insights across 90 low- and middle-income countries, helping these nations establish health benchmarks in alignment with the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Communication shared with the program's administrators indicated that the DHS would be immediately terminated for “the convenience of the U.S. Government,” halting all ongoing work and subcontracts.
As the Trump administration scales back USAID, layoffs affecting thousands of personnel are anticipated in the coming period. The reductions raise concerns among global health experts, who worry that without ongoing surveys, tracking the effects of foreign aid cuts in under-resourced nations lacking robust health infrastructure will be nearly impossible.
"It’s truly perplexing how health programs can be implemented effectively without access to critical data like that provided by the DHS," remarked Win Brown, a demographer at the University of Washington, expressing his dismay at the termination of such a crucial initiative. With the unexpected halt of these health surveys, the future of health measurement and progress assessment in many vulnerable regions hangs in the balance.
Conducted every five years, these surveys offered critical insights across 90 low- and middle-income countries, helping these nations establish health benchmarks in alignment with the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Communication shared with the program's administrators indicated that the DHS would be immediately terminated for “the convenience of the U.S. Government,” halting all ongoing work and subcontracts.
As the Trump administration scales back USAID, layoffs affecting thousands of personnel are anticipated in the coming period. The reductions raise concerns among global health experts, who worry that without ongoing surveys, tracking the effects of foreign aid cuts in under-resourced nations lacking robust health infrastructure will be nearly impossible.
"It’s truly perplexing how health programs can be implemented effectively without access to critical data like that provided by the DHS," remarked Win Brown, a demographer at the University of Washington, expressing his dismay at the termination of such a crucial initiative. With the unexpected halt of these health surveys, the future of health measurement and progress assessment in many vulnerable regions hangs in the balance.
