Over the past six decades, the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, has been Washington’s most valuable soft power tool. It has administered billions of dollars in financial aid distributed all over the world – about US$71.9 billion, or more than 40 per cent of global humanitarian assistance, in 2023 alone. Through USAID…
President Trump’s order that the United States exit the World Health Organization could undo programs meant to ensure the safety, security and study of a deadly virus that once took half a billion lives, experts warn. His retreat, they add, could end decades in which the agency directed the management of smallpox virus remnants in…
February is Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month, and the best time has come to bring more focus to habits in life which can improve general health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is paramount, and one need not make drastic changes, so small changes can bring about a lot of difference. Dr. Spoorthi, an internal medicine specialist from…
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China and economy stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Air pollution threat as lung cancer cases in never-smokers on the rise: study Despite drops in tobacco use worldwide, the incidence of lung cancer among people who…
A combination of healthy lifestyle management and guideline-based care showed minimal improvements in chronic low back pain when compared with guideline-based care alone as the control, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.1 “Low back pain is a leading cause of disability globally and a significant public health problem,” wrote the authors. “Observational studies have…
Social media users in China are spreading Elon Musk’s claim that Covid-19 was caused by a bioweapon created with US funding – an allegation the tech billionaire made on Sunday as part of an attack on the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump – who tasked him…
President Javier Milei of Argentina announced plans to withdraw his nation from the World Health Organization on Wednesday, the latest in a series of moves by Mr. Milei that mimic President Trump’s efforts to break with international norms and alliances. “We will never forget that they were the architects of the draconian lockdowns,” Mr. Milei…
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday calling for a general review of U.S. funding and involvement in the United Nations, casting uncertainty on the leadership role the United States has played as the global body’s top donor. “I’ve always felt that the U.N. has tremendous potential,” Mr. Trump said before signing the order…
Treating H.I.V. across dozens of nations. Stopping the forced labor of Chinese workers. Training Mexican and Colombian police in anti-narcotics enforcement. Those are just a tiny sample of aid programs around the world operating with grant money from the U.S. government that could be permanently shut down under an executive order President Trump signed last…
The Trump administration has instructed organizations in other countries to stop disbursing H.I.V. medications purchased with U.S. aid, even if the drugs have already been obtained and are sitting in local clinics. The directive is part of a broader freeze on foreign aid initiated last week. It includes the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,…