Billions of dollars, decades of progress spent eliminating devastating diseases may be lost with undoing of USAID

Public health campaigns had made significant strides toward eradicating diseases like elephantitis and river blindness. But this progress has since unraveled with the second Trump administration.

By: Sarah Greene, Washington University in St. Louis and Philip Budge, Washington University in St. Louis, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 5, 2026

Words: 875

Last Updated: 4 days, 14 hours ago

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By Sarah Greene, Washington University in St. Louis and Philip Budge, Washington University in St. Louis

In Greek mythology, King Sisyphus was condemned by the god Zeus to spend eternity rolling a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down, having to start anew every day.

His story captured our attention as researchers studying neglected tropical diseases – a collection of conditions that primarily affect poor people in low-income countries. …

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