Health
Trump Administration Ends Global Health Research Program
An obscure but influential program that gave detailed public health information to about half of the world’s nations will fold as a result of the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid.
With funding from the United States Agency for International Development, the Demographic and Health Surveys were the only sources of information in many countries about maternal and child health and mortality, nutrition, reproductive health and H.I.V. infections, among many other health indicators.
The surveys collected data in 90 low- and middle-income nations, which then used the information to set health benchmarks at the local, national and global levels, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by member countries of the United Nations.
On Tuesday, the program’s administrators learned that it was being “terminated for the convenience of the U.S. Government,” effective immediately, according to an email viewed by The New York Times. They were ordered to “stop all work, terminate subcontracts and place no further orders.”
The Trump administration is dismantling U.S.A.I.D.; thousands of layoffs are expected in the coming days. Without future surveys, it will be nearly impossible to measure the impact of those foreign aid cuts on citizens in nations without substantial health infrastructure.
Some global health experts reacted to the program’s demise with dismay.
“It’s really challenging for me to understand how you could implement thoughtful programs in public health and monitor progress toward strategic goals if you don’t have the kind of data that are available from the D.H.S.,” Win Brown, a demographer at the University of Washington, said.
“You can’t keep track of what’s going on, you can’t form strategies, you can’t make adjustments based on how your data are changing,” he added.
It was unclear what might happen to the research that has been collected over past decades, or to the ongoing survey projects in 25 countries. “We need to figure out a way to salvage that data, and I think that’s feasible,” Livia Montana, the program’s technical director, said.
The surveys have been conducted since 1984. The funding totaled about $500 million over five years, about half of which came from U.S.A.I.D. and half from other donors, including the nations themselves.
Some countries, like India, had almost entirely taken over the financing of their own surveys. The research is widely seen as indispensable.
“The impact of these disruptions will reverberate across local, regional, national and global levels,” a group of dozens of experts warned on Feb. 13.
Some United Nations organizations assess child and adolescent health or census data in some countries, while others measure household income or agricultural output.
But the Demographic and Health Surveys, collected every five years, recorded all critical aspects of household health, including mortality data, height and weight and nutrition status of children and adults, education and literacy, as well as access to clean water and mobile phones.
“Malnutrition indicators are among the most important,” because they can reflect a range of societal factors, Dr. Montana said. The surveys also separately evaluated malaria indicators and health facilities.
Estimates of maternal and child mortality are crucially important in countries that do not have good death registration systems. The surveys also measured family size, which can indicate the availability of family planning but also reflect broader societal factors, including access to education for girls.
Dr. Brown has used the surveys, for example, to compare contraceptive use among women in countries like Egypt, Pakistan and India over decades. “In a survey like D.H.S., you’re on the ground talking to real people, on the stoop of their real houses in real communities,” he said.
Like other projects funded with foreign aid, the program was under a stop-work order before the termination. All but 11 of its staff of 80 were placed on leave without pay, and its relationships with contractors ended a few weeks ago.
Informed of the halt, some national governments expressed concern and empathy, and several asked if they could pay to finish the work. Others took it in stride, Dr. Montana said.
“It’s sort of like they have experienced more of this kind of thing where political winds change right away,” she said.
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Comedian Amy Schumer, 44, has recently come clean about her struggle with Cushing’s syndrome, leading to a dramatic weight loss.
Schumer’s transformation has sparked conversation online, to which she responded in a now-deleted Instagram post that shut down speculation about cosmetic enhancements.
“I didn’t lose 30lbs — I lost 50,” she emphasized on social media, adding that she does not get Botox or filler.
AMY SCHUMER DROPPED 50 POUNDS TO BATTLE DISEASE THAT ‘CAN KILL YOU’ IF UNTREATED
Schumer doubled down that her weight loss was not about her appearance, but about staying alive.
“Not to look hot, which does feel fun and temporary,” she said. “I did it to survive. I had a disease that makes your face extremely puffy that can kill you, but the internet caught it and that disease has cleared.”
Amy Schumer attends Variety’s 2024 Power of Women: New York event on May 2, 2024, in New York City on the left. On the right, Schumer later poses for a photo posted to Instagram after her weight loss. (Marleen Moise/WireImage; Amy Schumer/Instagram)
“Sorry for whatever feeling it’s giving you that I lost that weight,” she added. “I’ve had plastic surgery over the years and I use [Mounjaro]. Sorry to anyone they let down. I’m pain free. I can [play] tag with my son.”
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The actress also addressed her shifting hormones, saying that she’s “happy to share more if anyone has any questions about how I’m looking or feeling or where I am in my perimenopause process.”
“I didn’t lose 30lbs — I lost 50,” Schumer emphasized on social media, adding that she does not get Botox or filler. (Amy Schumer/Instagram)
What is Cushing’s syndrome?
Schumer previously revealed that she had been diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a hormonal disorder that can cause extreme swelling, fatigue and potentially fatal complications.
Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight loss specialist in New Jersey, provided more details on the condition in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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“Cushing’s syndrome is caused by prolonged, high exposure to cortisol, which is your body’s main stress hormone,” he said. “Usually, the excess cortisol is a result of prolonged steroid use. We see this many times with patients who have some autoimmune disorder.”
Balazs said the “key” to Cushing’s syndrome is not just weight gain, but a “specific redistribution” of fat caused by too much cortisol.
Amy Schumer is photographed during a guest interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 13, 2024 (left), and later seen walking through midtown New York City on Oct. 28, 2025 (right). (Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images; Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images)
Fat may be driven to the abdomen, chest, upper back (referred to as a “buffalo hump”) or face, sometimes considered “moon face,” the doctor said.
Cortisol also breaks down protein, which leads to a thinning in the arms and legs. “Weight gain can be tough, involuntary and hard to manage,” Balazs added.
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Cortisol stimulates “hunger centers” in the brain, raises blood sugar and promotes fat storage, especially deep belly fat, according to the doctor.
Cushing’s syndrome can also cause high blood pressure, bone loss and sometimes type 2 diabetes, per Mayo Clinic.
In addition to weight gain in certain areas, other symptoms may include pink or purple stretch marks on the stomach, hips, thighs, breasts and underarms, as well as acne, slow wound healing, and thin, frail skin that bruises easily.
With Cushing’s syndrome, fat may accumulate in the abdomen, chest, face or upper back (referred to as a “buffalo hump”). (iStock)
Women with Cushing’s syndrome often experience thick, dark hair on the face and body, as well as irregular periods. Symptoms among men can include a lower sex drive, reduced fertility and erectile dysfunction.
Mayo Clinic listed other potential symptoms, including extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, trouble with concentration and memory, headache, sleeplessness, skin darkening and stunted growth in children.
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Those with symptoms should contact their doctor immediately, especially if they are taking steroids to treat health issues like asthma, arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease, as these medications can exacerbate the condition.
The Mayo Clinic has reported that the “sooner treatment starts, the better the chances for recovery.”
“I’ve had plastic surgery over the years and I use [Mounjaro],” Schumer stated in a social media post. (George Frey/Bloomberg)
For patients like Schumer, weight loss is typically not the main goal, Balazs noted, but it is a “critical sign” of successful treatment.
“The primary goal is to normalize your high cortisol levels,” he said. “I believe Amy Schumer got treated first for her underlying problem. Once the cortisol is normalized, which is the most important step, there’s a role to use adjunct medications to decrease weight.”
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Among GLP-1s, Mounjaro is an “excellent choice to decrease deep belly fat and increase insulin sensitivity of cells,” Balazs added.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s rep requesting comment.
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