In the BMJ-published article, The United States is driving a public health emergency of international concern, GSL’s Global Health Law Director, Roojin Habibi, joins co-authors Matthew Herder (lead author), Fatima Hassan, and Andrew Hill in bringing attention to the impact of US policy changes on current and future rates of death and infection, especially in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). Reduced funding due to these policy changes is expected to result in millions of deaths by 2030.
The article highlights US policy actions since January 2025 including withdrawing from the World Health Organization and halting important pandemic preparedness collaboration; freezing funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID, and Center for Disease Control programmes funding HIV testing and treatment; stopping funding to 31 UN agencies, including UN Women that provide reproductive health and protection from gender-based violence; and potentially cutting funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, putting vaccinations for millions of children at risk. The article also outlines policy changes impacting US domestic healthcare.
The authors argue that the policy action taken constitute a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) as per the International Health Regulations (IHRs), which is defined as a “extraordinary event” that constitutes a “public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease” and “potentially” requires a “coordinated international response.”
While this would be a novel application of the PHEIC designation and may not change US policy it could have a political, legal and global health implications. For instance, issuing a PHEIC may prevent further erosion of countries’ commitments to global health, help mobilise collaboration, assistance, and financing across WHO member states, and encourage the use of compulsory licensing of essential medicines.
- Read the full article here.
- Read the Newsweek article on this research.
- Learn more about GSL’s Global Health Law program.
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