"It feels like the system is folding in on itself – slowly, painfully, and in silence.” — Clinician, Nairobi County, Kenya.

The ripple effects of donor cuts extend to maternal, adolescent, and mental health services. Peer-led adolescent HIV programs like DREAMS have shut down, community ART groups have disbanded, and psychosocial support services have disappeared. Youth living with HIV are increasingly isolated, unmonitored, and at risk of defaulting from care.

Date: 7/25

Region: Africa

Country: Kenya

Topic: Health

Policy Lens: Global Health Security

Additional Context: In addition to U.S. government funding cuts, the Kenyan government’s reduction of about $1.3 billion (Sh. 161 billion) to the Ministry of Health’s budgetary allocation in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 has jeopardized investments in family planning, maternal care equipment, and community health initiatives. Health workers noted that maternal services have become harder to access.

This information was first published in a July 2025 research brief by Physicians for Human Rights, entitled "The System is Folding in on Itself: The Impact of U.S. Global Health Funding Cuts in Kenya."

Source: Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)