EXCLUSIVE: EU mulls copying US with end to aid for global health funds

The European Commission could stop funding lifesaving global health and immunisation organisations Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund by 2030 as it looks to boost the bloc’s overseas influence in other areas, according to an internal briefing document seen by Euractiv.  

The document prepared for the EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, says that the bloc should “focus on funds where the EU can truly shape governance.”

This year, US President Donald Trump has cut Washington’s funding to Gavi and the Global Fund, undermining the global health initiatives.

For its part, the EU document suggests revising future overseas development aid and introducing sunset clauses for “overlapping” initiatives such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, an organisation that aims to improve vaccine access for children in developing countries, and the Global Fund, which fights tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria.

Together, the two claim to have saved an estimated 20.6 million and 70 million lives, respectively, through vaccine and prevention programmes for malaria, Ebola, mpox, diphtheria, and polio, as well as administering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV in low- and middle-income countries. 

The note outlines how Europe should be more “strategic” in its overseas development aid (ODA) plans. The document noted that the EU is among the world’s largest contributors to overseas development assistance. However, despite the scale of funding, “our political influence does not yet match our financial weight.”

Asked about its plans, a European Commission spokesperson told Euractiv that the Commission has been in close contact with member states and other partners in recent months to “explore options for such reforms.” 

The EU executive did not confirm whether the proposal would definitely be implemented.

Aid takes a nosedive 

The document is yet another sign of waning global interest in development assistance.

Since 2021, the EU has contributed €3.5 billion to global funds, including €1.5 billion annually through UN agencies, and €1.5 billion to 152 World Bank trust funds, according to the document.

But in recent years, global health funding has steadily declined.

This year, the US announced it would withdraw from the World Health Organization and slash its USAID budget. Other major governments and donors, such as Germany, France, and Belgium, have also scaled back their ODA commitments, as has the European Commission, to free up funding for defence. 

Those funding cuts have trickled down to organisations such as Gavi and the Global Fund. This year, the UK also cut funding by £400 million to Gavi, which is working to secure financing for its already streamlined five-year plan to immunise 500 children. 

At the same time, pressure has been mounting on the EU to fill the gaps left by other international partners. A confidential working paper recently shared among national officials shows that the bloc is feeling the strain. 

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen teased a new Global Health Resilience Initiative during her annual State of the Union speech earlier this year, beckoning Europe to “step up where others have stepped away.” 

Still, the EU is also gradually shifting its global health financing from providing predictable cash to more public-private and conditional funds serving national interests. 

In October, von der Leyen announced a new Global Gateway Investment Hub, an “agile” single-entry point for public and private actors to contribute to its multibillion-euro aid efforts. 

No clear exit plan

Gavi admits it has no clear exit plan, meaning most of its beneficiaries will still need its support long into the future.

The organisation said in an April planning report that its “sincere goal” is to “put [itself] out of business” by helping poorer countries build vaccine capacity, a process for which there is “no hard and fast timetable.” 

With this in mind, the organisations have continued to fundraise. Gavi recently hosted a replenishment event for 2026-2030 in Brussels, which generated around $9.5 (€8.1) billion – with the help of a €360 million pledge from the EU – but fell short of its $11.9 (€10.2) billion target.

The Global Fund is hosting its own event in late November.  

The sunset clauses for funding the two organisations intersects with the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028-2034, dubbed the Multiannual Financial Framework. According to the note, the new budget will focus on crowding in European private-sector investments, promoting the bloc’s national interests amid “increased geopolitical rivalry and uncertainty.” 

The Commission said in a written statement it is keeping an “open and frank collaboration” with the organisations, considering “reduced resources and shifting paradigms in favour of country ownership, health integration and health care systems strengthening.” 

(cm, jp)