The Slow-Burning Emergency: How the Trump Administration’s Disregard for Global Health Security Threatens Us All

The world is witnessing a disturbing déjà vu moment as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda escalates. This time around, the consequences are even more dire due to the Trump administration’s systematic dismantling of infrastructure that made quick containment possible.

Over 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths have been recorded, making this the third-largest Ebola outbreak in history. The World Health Organization was alerted to reports of suspicious deaths early this month, but it took two days for the DRC’s health ministry to confirm the outbreak. Moreover, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola had been circulating for at least six weeks in the DRC before public confirmation.

The echoes between the current Ebola outbreak and the 2014 one are hard to ignore. In both cases, the disease spread rapidly due to a combination of factors: lack of approved vaccines or treatments, porous borders, and inadequate rapid field tests. The fact that this outbreak reached such scale before detection is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of inaction.

The Trump administration’s destruction of USAID, withdrawal from the WHO, and drawdown of the CDC’s role internationally have significantly contributed to the current crisis. By dismantling early-warning systems, trained response teams, bilateral and multilateral partnerships, funding streams, and White House teams that oversaw outbreak responses, the administration has left Americans vulnerable to large-scale outbreaks of deadly diseases.

This is not a partisan issue; it’s a matter of public health security. The 2014 Ebola crisis created rare bipartisan clarity: the United States needed capacity to manage these diseases wherever they emerged. Congress invested deeply in global-health-security programs at the CDC, USAID, the State Department, and the Department of Defense, greatly accelerating the world’s collective capacity to detect and stop outbreaks early.

Investments eventually included about $1.3 billion annually through the State Department, USAID, and the CDC. However, it seems that this administration is not interested in building on that progress. Instead, it has chosen to prioritize short-term gains over long-term security. The consequences of this shortsightedness are already being felt, and it’s only a matter of time before another outbreak occurs.

The hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, which infected 11 people and spread across borders, is a stark reminder of the need for swift and coordinated action. Nearly a month passed from when the first passenger became sick to when the WHO confirmed the outbreak – a testament to the slow-burning emergency we’re facing.

The world cannot afford to wait until another crisis reaches catastrophic proportions. It’s time for the Trump administration to take responsibility for its actions and rebuild the infrastructure that was dismantled. This includes re-establishing USAID, reversing the withdrawal from the WHO, and restoring the CDC’s role internationally.

The stakes are high, but it’s not too late to act. The world needs a collective effort to detect and stop outbreaks early, invest in global health security, and prioritize public health over politics.