As the global freeze on U.S. foreign aid continues, a limited set of lifesaving health programs are being granted exceptions — but with significant restrictions and unanswered questions about how they’ll be implemented.
Last week, some programming under the U.S. President’s Emergency Relief for Aids Relief, or PEPFAR, which provides lifesaving HIV medication, was granted a waiver. Devex obtained a copy of waiver guidance for other types of global health programming, including for tuberculosis, malaria, acute risks of maternal and child mortality, severe acute malnutrition, and other life-threatening diseases and health conditions.
The memo sent by Nicholas Enrich, acting assistant administrator for the Bureau for Global Health, to the agency’s chief of staff and deputy staff, stated that the bureau is “taking steps to resume or continue activities” deemed lifesaving. But Enrich added this only includes a “limited subset” of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.