The New York Times Highlights Lifesaving Work Cut by US Government

By Helen Keller Intl
| February 28, 2025

Earlier this week, Helen Keller Intl received the heart-wrenching news that all of our US government-funded projects are among more than 5,800 being terminated as part of sweeping cuts to work financed through the US Agency for International Development. The canceled programs include many that previously received waivers to continue work deemed essential and lifesaving.

New York Times Global Health Correspondent Stephanie Nolen details some of the terrible consequences of this wave of terminations in her new piece:

U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World

We are devastated by this decision. These Helen Keller programs provided life-saving nutrition and health services to tens of millions of people across Asia and Africa. Work being conducted by other organizations provided clean water, expanded access to essential health care, tracked vital health data, and so much more.

The ripple effects of these terminations will be immediate and catastrophic. A severely malnourished child in Nigeria will no longer have access to the therapeutic foods required for recovery. An expectant mother in Nepal will no longer receive essential prenatal care. A family in Bangladesh will no longer have access to resources and support to grow their own nutritious foods. Rural communities across West Africa will no longer receive the preventative medications necessary to protect themselves from debilitating diseases.

Our team estimates that 121 million children and family members in the countries we support are now at dire risk.

Nolen’s reporting underscores the incredible impact and legacy of this work by Helen Keller and our peer organizations, as well as the invaluable contributions of our dedicated staff and global health colleagues who have supported these programs over the years.

We are immensely proud of the impact we have made through our US government-funded projects to improve the health and lives of children and families. Our work has made a difference, and it will not be forgotten.