Research Cuts at Harvard Are a Blow to Global Health 6/13/2025

                   Research Cuts at Harvard Are a Blow to Global Health

The Trump administration’s politically motivated cutbacks on research funding—particularly those targeting Harvard University and other elite academic institutions—have had far-reaching consequences beyond U.S. borders. By undermining one of the world’s premier centers of medical research and public health, these actions crippled scientific collaboration at a time when global cooperation is most essential.
Harvard’s contributions to infectious disease research, pandemic preparedness, and health equity have saved countless lives. Whether in developing low-cost interventions, training frontline workers abroad, or guiding global vaccination strategies, Harvard researchers have been instrumental in shaping effective health responses worldwide. Curtailing this work for the sake of political retaliation—or to score points in a culture war against “liberal elites”—has cost lives, particularly in the Global South.
Public health threats don’t stop at national borders. As COVID-19 tragically demonstrated, weakening American research institutions weakens the world’s ability to respond to global crises. Scientific research should never be treated as a partisan football. If we are serious about preventing the next pandemic and advancing health for all, we must protect and fund our leading research centers—regardless of politics.
For more, visit the “Call for Social Justice blog post."& @kakasmanu