JAKARTA The agency for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has officially closed. The closure of the USAID is part of President Donald Trump's budget savings scheme.
Shortly after being sworn in, Trump announced he would freeze foreign aid funds from the US. He argued that the humanitarian aid disbursed by the government was in line with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) policy. Trump wants USAID to be under the control of the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu).
USAID was founded in 1961 by US President John F. Kennedy. The agency is designed to manage humanitarian aid programs from the US and focus on economic and social development in developing countries.
In 2023, the US--partially via USAID--disbursed US$72 billion to various parts of the world to fund various programs, ranging from women's health, access to clean water, handling HIV/AIDS, energy security, to anti-corruption issues.
According to the calculation of the United Nations (UN), this figure is equivalent to 42 percent of the total humanitarian assistance disbursed by various institutions and agencies around the world in 2024. Indonesia is one of the recipients of USAID assistance.
Over the past 20 years, according to the US Embassy in Indonesia, USAID has disbursed funds of around US $ 5 billion or more than Rp. 80 trillion for various humanitarian programs by cooperating with a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Indonesia.
Programs that USAID has run so far, such as USAID MPHD which aims to save mothers and babies by increasing access to health services, USAID PASTI which focuses on reducing stunting, and USAID PREVENT TB which supports TB prevention effectively. In the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, USAID poured more than US$65 million to help the Indonesian government deal with Covid. As the largest donor to COVAX, USAID also helped deliver more than 100 million doses of vaccine to Indonesia.
In 2023, USAID distributed US$153 million for various programs in Indonesia. The budget was disbursed, among others, for projects that support the creation of democratic government, handling climate and environmental change, economic growth, education, and health. Since January 24, 2025, USAID Indonesia announced canceling three applications for types of assistance that had been previously agreed upon. The announcement was uploaded to the official USAID Indonesia Instagram account.
The three requests for assistance were canceled, namely Soliditation No. 72049725R0001 Resident Hire USPSC Infectious Disease Advisor, GS-13, Solidation No. 72049725R10002 USAID CCNPSC Project Management Specialist (Tuberculosis), FSN-10, Solidition No. 72049725R10004 USAID CCNPSC Project Management Specialist (Urbban Resilience Lead), FSN-11.
Tom Wingfield, an expert on tuberculosis (TB) and social medicine at the Liverpool Tropical Medicine School, England, said it was difficult to underestimate the impact of the decision to dissolve the USAID. People don't respect USAID's reach and reach.
The funds are used to overcome malnutrition, hygiene, toilets, access to clean water, all of which have a major impact on TB disease and diarrhea. Diseases do not recognize regional boundaries - this is more common when there is a massive climate change and population displacement. Contagious diseases will spread, "he said as quoted by the BBC.
Wingfield said TB kills 1.3 million people per year and makes 10 million others sick. But four out of 10 people never receive any treatment and therefore can transmit disease, he said. "Whether it's an impacted research or clinical project, then we face the risk of further transmission. People will die directly because of US funding cuts," he added.
Not only TB clinics are at risk, but also clinics that provide care for people living with HIV. Much of this work is done by non-governmental organizations, NGOs, which provide important anti-retroviral drugs that can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to undetected levels, which help prevent sexual transmission to others.
According to Wingfield, if the treatment is compromised, a serious problem may arise. People with controlled HIV, if they forget to take medication, the virus in their blood will increase and there is a risk of further transmission. There is a risk of canceling all the progress that has been achieved to date," he said.
The founder of the Humanitarian Forum in Indonesia (HFI), Victor Rembeth, assessed that USAID freeze actually opens up opportunities for Indonesia to achieve independence in various fields that have been dependent on USAID assistance, including the health sector.
He revealed that efforts can be made, among others, by diversifying funding sources through collaboration with international institutions, such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), partnerships with the private sector where companies contribute through corporate social responsibility (CSR) to support humanitarian initiatives and development in Indonesia.
"Strengthening local capacity is also important by increasing the allocation of the state budget and optimizing the efficiency of social programs so that they are independent in carrying out humanitarian programs," added Victor.
He emphasized the importance of increasing the ability and capacity of local human resources to carry out development and humanitarian assistance programs. The government can provide training and education, as well as encourage the development of innovation and local technology.
In addition, the government can adapt existing development programs to conditions and needs in Indonesia, as well as identify more relevant development priorities. This adjustment can be made through consultations with various parties, including local governments, civil society, and the private sector," continued Victor.
Recently, the arrival of Bill Gates who represented the Gates Foundation to Indonesia seemed to give a breath of fresh air, especially in overcoming TB disease. Despite appreciating this, Victor reminded the government not to rely on cooperation with foreign institutions to avoid long-term dependencies.
"Depending on foreign institutions will make it difficult for Indonesia to be independent in the health sector. It is better to think about how to maximize the potential of experts or experts in the health sector to be able to be independent," he said.
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