U.S. Foreign Aid

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects global under‑age‑5 mortality will increase in 2025 for the first time this century, to about 4.8 million deaths from 4.6 million in 2024, largely linked to a historic drop in health-focused foreign aid. NPR reports the model, detailed by IHME’s Dr. Steve Lim, attributes the reversal to a 26% cut in international health aid — with the U.S., U.K., France and Germany among donors reducing funding — while limited increases from some contributors do not offset the shortfall.