Chief Science Officer for US HIV/AIDS Program Resigns Amid Criticism
The chief science officer for the US flagship HIV/AIDS program, Mike Reid, left his role this week. He criticized the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign assistance and its use of aid as leverage for US commercial interests.
Reid, a practicing infectious disease physician who served as chief science officer for PEPFAR in the State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, stated he had stayed in his job for 18 months in hopes of preserving at-risk programs. However, he said funding for health programs overseas was being used as leverage over developing countries.
The Trump administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development last year, but officials said life-saving work under PEPFAR would continue. The State Department told Reid his employment was ended immediately after seeing his post on Monday.
Asked about Reid’s post, the State Department said it continued to spend money appropriated by Congress for PEPFAR and offered Zambia a “generous multi-year package of US assistance.” However, they did not address claims that the US sought economic concessions in exchange for aid.
The Trump administration launched an America First Global Health Strategy last week. The State Department published data showing a sharp drop in HIV testing last year amid interruptions to PEPFAR, which has saved 26 million lives and prevented infections in 7.8 million babies born to HIV-infected mothers since its start in 2003.
Reid praised some parts of the Trump administration’s policy but criticized it for reducing overall funding to countries while increasing US military spending and launching a war with Iran. He told Reuters that moving funding to government health bodies instead of NGOs was the right approach, but it came after many officials who monitored corruption and misuse of funds had lost their jobs.
The State Department spokesperson said bilateral health agreements included “extensive new government-to-government accountability and compliance frameworks” but did not address staffing cuts. Reid expressed concerns about the speed and lack of oversight in these changes.