On Monday, Dr. Craig Spencer, a public health expert and Ebola survivor, wrote an article for The Atlantic on the impact of the Trump administration's "slash-and-burn" approach to global health, warning the government's efforts are an "invitation for future outbreaks."
Spencer on Wednesday spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper to discuss his op-ed and the growing threat to public health.
Spencer told Cooper, "We have undermined our ability to detect threats abroad and our ability to respond to them here in this country. And the result is unfortunately going to be disastrous."
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During Trump's first Cabinet meeting last month, Elon Musk insisted that it was an oversight when DOGE cancelled Ebola-prevention programs.
“The truth is far more disturbing," Spencer said. “This administration didn’t just pause a line item; it has actively dismantled the infrastructure the country relies on to detect and confront deadly pathogens.”
“In 2023, the U.S. contributed $481 million — an eighth of what Americans spend on professional dog-training services every year — to WHO’s operating budget,” Spencer continued. “Admittedly, many Americans — fueled by Trump’s denigration of the organization — developed a deep distrust of the WHO following perceived missteps during the coronavirus pandemic.”
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Spencer also slammed the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). While Musk calls USAID a criminal organization, Spencer told Cooper “Americans are safer when instability and infectious threats are effectively managed on foreign lands.”
“More than 20 million people were receiving treatment when Trump paused all foreign aid,” Spencer said. “Now, and with startling speed, the country is turning its back on global health. In doing so, it is endangering other nations, and also itself. USAID’s account on X, once a digital chronicle of its achievements, is gone. When I search for it on my phone, I get an error message: ‘Something went wrong. Try again.’ We must heed that warning.”
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