Dear Friend,
A new study from The Lancet finds that USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths in the next 5 years – a sobering reminder of what’s at stake when global health funding is reduced.
While we were not among the most immediately or directly impacted organizations, we have been affected by USAID cuts and anticipate further indirect consequences. These cuts only reinforce the importance of holding ourselves to rigorous cost-effectiveness and impact standards. Especially now, every dollar must go as far as possible—and that means following the evidence, even when it leads to hard choices.
Recently, we made the difficult decision to begin phasing out about half of our chlorine dispensers in Kenya. New data showed lower-than-expected usage, pushing parts of our program below our cost-effectiveness threshold. This is not a decision we took lightly. But acting on the best available evidence—even when it’s hard—is core to who we are. Ultimately this decision helps us focus our resourcing on the programs and places where we can save and improve the most lives.
