Healthcare in Africa ‘Under Growing Strain’ After Aid Cuts, Report Warns

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 23, 2026

The Accra Reset initiative's report reveals that significant cuts in U.S. foreign aid have severely strained African healthcare systems, forcing countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana to shoulder major funding gaps and face disruptions in essential health services. This funding shortfall underscores the urgent need for African nations to increase local investment and control over health systems to build resilience against future global health challenges.

Healthcare systems across Africa face increasing pressure following significant reductions in international aid, according to a report released Monday by the Accra Reset initiative, a global health coalition led by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The report, titled *A Sovereign Future for Health*, underscores how cuts to U.S. foreign aid programs, alongside the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising global living costs, have heightened the urgency for African and other Global South countries to assert greater control over their health systems.

The report highlights that Africa produces less than 1% of its vaccines despite bearing approximately 25% of the global disease burden, illustrating a critical gap in local production capacity. It emphasizes how abrupt changes in global health financing have forced countries in the region to rapidly re-evaluate and restructure their healthcare funding.

A key focus of the report is the impact of aid reductions stemming from the previous U.S. administration’s policy shifts. The dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) compelled Nigeria to take on financial responsibility for 28,000 health workers formerly employed by the agency, at an estimated cost of $200 million. External health financing for Africa contracted sharply, by nearly 70% between 2021 and 2025, according to the report, leaving many countries that historically relied on aid to confront substantial funding shortfalls.

South Africa experienced similar challenges with the withdrawal of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding, which had previously provided more than $400 million annually. The report notes the resulting closures of HIV clinics placed the care of approximately 1.4 million people living with HIV in jeopardy. Research presented at this year’s 26th International AIDS Conference in Brazil described these funding cuts as causing “severe and devastating” disruptions to global health efforts.

At the World Health Assembly in May, President Mahama detailed how Ghana lost $78 million following the end of USAID programs that supported maternal healthcare, malaria treatment, nutrition initiatives, and HIV/AIDS interventions. These financial gaps have compelled countries like Ghana to seek more sustainable, locally driven health solutions.

Public opinion in the United States presents a nuanced picture of foreign aid. A recent poll of over 2,000 American adults, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation, found that approximately 75% of respondents support restoring aid focused on disease prevention, including efforts to control the Ebola virus. The poll showed that even among supporters of former President Donald Trump, over half advocate for reinstating such assistance.

The report advocates for increased health sovereignty and greater investment within African nations themselves to build more resilient healthcare systems capable of withstanding future crises.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.