USAID plays a critical role in preventing the proliferation of biological and chemical weapons through its comprehensive global health security programs. The agency’s planned budget cuts and potential shutdown pose significant risks to international biosecurity efforts.
Impact on Biosecurity Programs
USAID’s Global Health Security (GHS) Program works extensively with partner countries to prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate[5]. The program implements critical biosafety and biosecurity measures across human, animal, and agricultural sectors while working to reduce dual-use risks and mitigate biological proliferation threats[5].
Current Funding Crisis
The recent freeze on foreign aid funding has already forced many USAID programs to halt operations[7]. The agency’s budget for biological threat reduction activities faces severe cuts, with some programs seeing their funding reduced by up to 50% compared to previous years[1]. This dramatic reduction comes at a time when biological threats have not decreased, making the cuts particularly concerning for global security[1].
Critical Role in Global Biosecurity
USAID’s contributions to biosecurity are multifaceted and essential. The agency helps strengthen national biosafety systems, improves biological risk management training, and works to reduce dual-use risks across partner countries[4]. Through its partnerships with global, regional, and local organizations, USAID builds sustainable capacity to prevent the misuse of biological agents[5].
Consequences of Defunding
The potential shutdown or severe reduction of USAID’s programs would create significant gaps in global biosecurity infrastructure[13]. Without USAID’s oversight and support, many partner countries would lose access to critical biosafety training, laboratory security measures, and pathogen monitoring systems[6]. This could increase the risk of dangerous pathogens being mishandled or deliberately misused[2].
Strategic Importance
USAID’s work directly supports the U.S. National Biodefense Strategy and plays a vital role in protecting U.S. national security interests[5]. The agency’s programs help prevent biological and chemical weapons attacks by state and non-state actors through strengthening international safeguards and monitoring systems[8]. Cutting these programs could significantly weaken global defenses against biological threats and increase vulnerability to potential weapons development[2].
Sources:
[1] – BIOLOGICAL THREATS TO UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-116shrg41309/html/CHRG-116shrg41309.htm
[2] Memo to Trump: Cut the Pentagon’s chemical and biological … https://thebulletin.org/2025/01/memo-to-trump-cut-the-pentagons-chemical-and-biological-defense-program/
[3] US‘ 2025 budget proposes a decrease in foreign … – Policy Updates https://donortracker.org/policy_updates?policy=us-2025-budget-proposes-a-decrease-in-us-foreign-assistance-2024
[4] [PDF] USAID’s Global Health Security Program Strategic Framework https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/USAID%20GHS%20Program%20Strategic%20Framework_December%202024.pdf
[5] [PDF] USAID’s Global Health Security Program https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/USAID-Global-Health-Security-Framing-Document.pdf
[6] Medical experts concerned USAID spending cuts could impact … https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/medical-experts-concerned-usaid-spending-cuts-could-impact-global-health-programs
[7] How a US freeze has upended global aid – BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3604r84zjyo
[8] Biosecurity policy in the executive branch | Emerging Technology … https://emergingtechpolicy.org/institutions/executive-branch/biosecurity-policy-in-the-executive-branch/
[9] [PDF] ONE HEALTH: A COMMON FACET IN USAID STRATEGY AND … https://biodiversitylinks.org/library/resources/one-health-fact-sheet-usaid-strategy-policy.pdf/@@download/file/one-health-fact-sheet-usaid-strategy-policy.pdf
[10] Trump Administration Offers 2 Million Federal Workers Payouts to … https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/28/us/trump-news-executive-orders
[11] [PDF] FY 2025 Congressional Budget Justification Foreign Operations https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/State-and-USAID-Appendix-2.pdf
[12] U.S. Issues Broad Freeze On Foreign Aid Pending Reviews https://www.rferl.org/a/aid-usaid-state-department-rubio-trump/33288041.html
[13] The future of USAID remains uncertain amid Trump’s funding freeze https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/usaid-future-remains-uncertain-funding-freeze-trump-rcna190287
[14] [PDF] Congressional Budget Justification Department of State, Foreign … https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/FY-2025-Congressional-Budget-Justification-Department-of-State-Foreign-Operations-and-Related-Programs_USAID.pdf
[15] [PDF] Foreign Assistance: An Introduction to U.S. Programs and Policy https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R40213
[16] A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the … https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/congressional-testimony/apr-09-2024-review-presidents-fiscal-year-2025-budget-request-us-agency-international-development
[17] [PDF] Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FY-2022-State_USAID-Congressional-Budget-Justification.pdf
[18] Existential Risk and Cost-Effective Biosecurity – PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5576214/
[19] USAID website goes dark amid Trump administration’s freeze … – PBS https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/usaid-website-goes-dark-amid-trump-administrations-freeze-on-foreign-aid-worldwide
[20] [PDF] Congressional Budget Justification – Department of State https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/FY-2023-Congressional-Budget-Justifcation-Appendix-2-final-508comp.pdf
[21] How nonprofits abroad can fill gaps when the US government cuts … https://theconversation.com/how-nonprofits-abroad-can-fill-gaps-when-the-us-government-cuts-off-foreign-aid-248378
[22] USAID Announces New Project to Strengthen Systems that Prevent … https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/oct-30-2024-usaid-announces-new-project-strengthen-systems-prevent-detect-and-respond-new-and-emerging-health-threats
[23] Musk brands USAID ‚criminal‘, Trump calls its leaders ‚radical lunatics‘ https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250202-musk-brands-usaid-criminal-as-civil-service-scrutiny-grows
[24] [PDF] BWC/MSP/2024/WP.3 – Official Document System https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/223/78/pdf/g2422378.pdf
[25] Emerging Pandemic Threats Program | Global Health https://www.usaid.gov/emerging-pandemic-threats-program
[26] [PDF] 2024 USAID Biodiversity Policy https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024-USAID-Biodiversity-Policy.pdf
[27] [PDF] Roadmap for Biosecurity and Biodefense Policy in the United States https://wmdcenter.ndu.edu/Portals/97/Documents/Publications/1A%20Full%20Report.pdf?ver=2018-06-27-110035-457
[28] USAID announces new project to strengthen systems that prevent … https://www.developmentaid.org/news-stream/post/187020/usaid-strengthen-systems-that-prevent
[29] Musk brands USAID ‚criminal‘, Trump calls its leaders ‚radical lunatics‘ https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20250202-musk-brands-usaid-criminal-as-civil-service-scrutiny-grows
[30] USAID Contributions To The Updated U.S. National Biodefense … https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/oct-18-2022-fact-sheet-usaid-contributions-updated-us-national-biodefense-strategy
[31] [PDF] USAID and CDC Funding, Activities, and Assessments of Countries … https://www.gao.gov/assets/720/713757.pdf
[32] We Need Biological Verification and Attribution Tools to Combat … https://fas.org/publication/we-need-biological-verification-and-attribution-tools-to-combat-disinformation-aimed-at-international-institutions/
[33] USAID Contributions to The 2024 Global Health Security Strategy https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/apr-16-2024-usaid-contributions-2024-global-health-security-strategy
[34] [PDF] Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Estimates https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/budget_justification/pdfs/01_Operation_and_Maintenance/O_M_VOL_1_PART_1/DTRA_OP-5.pdf
[35] US updates: Trump agrees USAID should be shut down — Musk – DW https://www.dw.com/en/us-updates-trump-agrees-usaid-should-be-shut-down-musk/live-71488905
[36] Is USAID Shutting Down? What We Know About the Agency’s Future https://news.fundsforngos.org/2025/02/03/is-usaid-shutting-down-what-we-know-about-the-agencys-future/
[37] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/international_safety/1873584/
[38] Musk says USAID funded development of bio-weapons, COVID-19 https://tass.com/world/1907709
[39] [PDF] Evaluation of FAO/USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats Programme https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/7a1d86cf-3932-4fcd-9b49-ee450fe31f48/content
[40] U.S. and International Agencies and Organizations Engaged in … https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557958/
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