USAID Funding Freeze Touches India’s Healthcare, Other Programs
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – The U.S. government’s decision to freeze funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), spearheaded by Elon Musk, is expected to impact healthcare, education, and infrastructure projects in India. Musk, who has been vocal in his criticism of the agency, has called USAID a “criminal organization” and declared that it was “time for it to die.”
USAID has been active in India for over 70 years, working in collaboration with the Indian government to address critical challenges, particularly in health, education, and economic development.
In fiscal year 2023-24, USAID allocations included $55 million for health, $18 million for environmental initiatives, $7.8 million for social infrastructure, and $6.8 million for government and civil society programs, according to the U.S. government’s Foreign Assistance website.
The agency has played a significant role in India’s health sector, helping to reduce maternal and child mortality, combat tuberculosis and HIV, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1990, USAID has helped save more than two million children’s lives in India, preventing 25,000 pneumonia-related deaths and 14,000 deaths from diarrhea.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID provided $13.1 million in funding for testing, surveillance, and community health training, in addition to donating 200 ventilators, NDTV said.
Beyond healthcare, USAID has also supported India’s education initiatives, including the Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat literacy campaign, which reached over two million students. It has trained more than 61,000 teachers in improved teaching methodologies and backed the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, helping over 300,000 people gain access to household toilets and ensuring 25,000 communities were declared open-defecation-free, the site said in its archives.
USAID’s contributions have also extended to agriculture and climate resilience NDTV noted. Over 132,000 farmers have benefitted from improved farming technologies and management practices introduced with USAID support. Additionally, the agency collaborated with India’s largest weather services company to expand automatic weather stations across nine states, delivering localized weather forecasts, risk mitigation tools, and crop insurance services via SMS to about 70,000 climate-vulnerable farmers.
Also Read:- https://indiawest.com/usaid-convenes-south-asia-clean-energy-forum/
Mouli
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India should not be should not be seen with a begging bowl anymore, if it wants to be a leading player in the world. In fact, we should decline any such aids from the western world and US especially. Why not tax the billionaires in India, such as the Ambanis, Adanis, etc, who don’t mind spending hundreds of million dollars on their weddings. Such taxes can ceratinly replace things like USAID, etc.
February 5, 2025Surinder Puri
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The GOI has not been brutal with the genuine, well-meaning NGOs and USAID has not been one such organization. India has banned several NGOs whose face did not correspond with their real purpose. Also, the answer to every financial woe of the country is not to keep milking billionaires who employ millions of people , work hard, earn money and contribute to the uplifting of Bharat. I do agree with the idea of not accepting any money that denegrates Bharat.
February 5, 2025Bobby
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well said Mouli !!!, in fact we are beggars, whatever country gives us money, we bow, and follow. You dont know how much damage its doing as they want to try out new medications. I think China is in the Right Move. Watch NGO’s!!.
February 6, 2025Made of Truth
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US AID is US tax payer money. And a whopping 60% goes as salaries, TA, perks to the consultants! Why not spend that on building houses for the un-housed in LA/Sn Francisco etc? Better use of money than paying those who travel business class across the globe. I know a person who boasted to me that he had seen his child just for 42 days last year! He must have set a record on miles traveled trotting from Senegal to Cairo to Baku to Manila to Guam to Tahiti!
February 5, 2025Pratyush Dave
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It’s about time USAID leaves India! In the name of aid it serves US foreign policy. I am surprised Modi had not ushered this criminal organization out of India
February 5, 2025