The Aftermath of USAID Funding Cuts & a $150 Million Blow to Global Health’s Future

Public Health Insight

One morning in February 2025, EngenderHealth received the kind of email every global health leader dreads—three major USAID grants were gone. No warning. No appeal. Just: “not in the national interest.”

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we unpack the real-world consequences: canceled surgeries, programs being stretched to their limit, and the ripple effects that reach far beyond borders. EngenderHealth’s CEO, Traci Baird, returns to share how her team acted fast—redirecting emergency funds, forming unlikely partnerships, and putting resilience to the test. Because when lives are on the line, waiting for policy to catch up isn’t always an option.

References for Our Discussion

◼️EngenderHealth

◼️DOGE Makes Its Latest Errors Harder to Find

Guest

◼️Traci Baird

Host(s)

Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc

Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

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