Commentary: US foreign aid cuts will undo progress in tuberculosis control – here’s what it means for Asia

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WHAT DOES THIS HAVE A SOURCE FOR ASIE?

The effect will be felt especially in Asia. India ( 26 % ), Indonesia ( 10 % ), China ( 68 % ), the Philippines ( 68 % ), and Pakistan ( 66.3 % ) make up the top five high-burden TB nations, which account for more than half of all cases worldwide.

The US supports Tuberculosis control initiatives in Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan in various ways. Some of these nations ‘ local TB control costs are overfunded by USAID and the Global Fund combined.

As World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on March 17 that their and another lower- and middle-income nations are “facing catastrophic failures in their]TB response,” given their heavy reliance on US international aid.

Nine nations have previously reported that their anti-TB supply stores are failing. As health employees are laid off, treatment prices fall, and the source of anti-TB medications frequently drops, the number of cases and incidents rises. TB cases that are drug-resistant may also rise drastically.

These nations are unable to easily make up for the cash shortfall by reallocating funds from other health initiatives like those that the US frequently supports and are also facing related budget cuts, such as HIV, dengue, childhood vaccination, and nutrition. These health interests are now being made by institutions.

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Commentary: In this age of post-COVID travel, are we paying more for worse service?

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However, the rebound in airline earnings has been accompanied by a rise in passenger complaints. The United States Department of Transportation received more than 77,000 complaints about airline service in 2022, 55 per cent more than that in 2021. The most common issues were flight disruptions, reimbursement and baggage. 

No doubt, the increase in complaints is in part due to the revival of the travel sector after COVID-19. But airlines may be tempted to cash in on such robust consumer demand, despite not having recovered to full pre-pandemic capacity yet.

Overbooking is one way airlines do this. Six years after a passenger was violently dragged off a United Airlines flight, US travellers are still denied boarding due to airlines selling more seats than they have available. The Wall Street Journal reported that more than twice as many passengers were bumped off flights between October 2021 and September 2022 compared to the same period in the previous year.

FALLING SERVICE STANDARDS OR MORE DEMANDING PASSENGERS?

It is natural for passengers to expect better service after paying a fortune. In Asia, recent news stories suggest passengers have lower tolerance towards poor in-flight service and meal quality.

Singapore Airlines, a regular top five airline in the world, sparked criticism after trialling paper serviceware in economy and premium economy class. Some customers deemed the paper boxes “cheap”, leading the airline to reverse its decision.

It could be that passengers expect more from Asian carriers, as they tend to outdo US and European airlines in world rankings. But individually, some airlines had been struggling even before COVID-19.

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