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Trump’s WHO exit, looming deportations, and Africa’s overeliance on foreign aid: A wake up call

Wananchi Reporter By Wananchi Reporter Published on: January 31, 2025 11:00 (EAT)
Trump’s WHO exit, looming deportations, and Africa’s overeliance on foreign aid: A wake up call

File image of US President Donald Trump.

By Sebastian Asava

Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the World Health Organization (WHO) was a wake-up call for Africa.

It exposed how deeply dependent our nations have become on foreign aid, particularly in the health sector. HIV patients across the continent were thrown into panic, fearing that life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) would no longer be available. Their relief only came when the U.S. later assured continued ARV support.

Although the US rescinded the memo ordering a freeze in federal funding, the bigger question remains: why, decades after independence, have we not built our own pharmaceutical industries to manufacture these essential drugs?


This reliance on foreign aid extends beyond healthcare. Despite sitting on vast natural resources, gold, diamonds, oil, and minerals, African countries still struggle with poverty, unemployment, and weak infrastructure.

Instead of processing our own resources, we export raw materials and import finished products at high costs. Governments continue to beg for aid while corruption drains public funds that should be used for development.

As if the health crisis wasn’t enough, the U.S. and European nations are now ramping up deportations of African migrants. Many of these individuals fled their home countries due to lack of opportunities, poor governance, and insecurity.

Now, as they face forced return, they are being sent back to the same broken systems that failed them in the first place. The question remains: when will African leaders take responsibility and create environments where citizens can thrive at home rather than seek refuge abroad?

Trump’s blunt critique of African governance still lingers, If we cannot build industries to manufacture our own medicine, if we let corruption cripple development, if we sit on immense wealth while our people suffer, can we truly call ourselves independent? The world is moving forward, and Africa must wake up before another crisis exposes just how fragile our systems are.

It is high time we fought corruption seriously for the benefit of our future generations.

Our African Head’s of States MUST rise up to confirm our true independence.

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