What will define Elon Musk's legacy? Doge cuts to USAID Ebola programs

Elon Musk is facing problems related to the Ebola virus. SpaceX's stock value fell significantly after its first public sale, and Tesla is dealing with many lawsuits. However, instead of focusing on his companies, Musk has often posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the US Agency for International Development (USAID). He helped to significantly reduce the agency's operations last year.

Jeremy Konyndyk, a former high-ranking USAID official who managed the agency's Ebola response in 2014-2015, commented on Musk's recent actions. He said that Musk's decision to withdraw from supporting USAID over the past week has been notable. Konyndyk added that it is helpful that Musk is drawing attention to what he did last year.

Musk has stated that his critics cannot provide any names of people who died due to the cuts, saying it would be major international news if they could. When presented with names, including children who died because of the funding reductions, Musk responded by calling a journalist a liar and evil. He has also claimed, without proof, that US taxpayer money was used to support militants and corrupt politicians.

The cuts made by Musk, through a short-lived government efficiency program called Doge, have come under new examination during the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Last year, Musk admitted that he had accidentally reduced programs meant for detecting and responding to Ebola.

Davide Rasella, a professor and researcher, explained that this is one reason why there wasn't enough monitoring and preparation for the Ebola outbreak. He believes that if global health programs in the DRC and other areas had not been reduced, the Ebola outbreak would have been discovered much earlier.

The cuts have negatively impacted global health, nutrition, and education worldwide. A study in The Lancet medical journal estimated that if USAID were completely ended, there could be 14 million deaths, including 4.5 million children. When a US congressman mentioned this study, Musk threatened legal action and restated his belief that the Doge program did nothing wrong.

Rasella, who was involved in the Lancet study, said that he was not aware of the disagreement between the congressman and Musk but stood by the study's findings. He explained that while Musk uses scientific methods for launching rockets, public health also relies on similar statistical and mathematical tools.

It is hard to say exactly how many people will die because of these cuts, Rasella noted. However, he stressed that the impact is significant, and millions of deaths are likely over the next few years, which he considers undeniable. Some of these deaths are already happening, with people dying in large numbers in certain areas, according to Konyndyk.

Konyndyk believes that Musk's actions in dismantling USAID and the resulting suffering and death will be a key part of his historical reputation. He wonders if this is why Musk is trying so hard to change the public's perception of his actions. Konyndyk described Musk's approach as cutting resources until people complain, then reversing some cuts, but pointed out that this method is dangerous when dealing with public funding where the cost can be human lives.

Konyndyk suggested that USAID would likely still exist today if not for Musk's direct involvement. While other health and science agencies have also faced difficulties, they have managed to survive in some form, even if weakened. Musk's personal commitment to this project gave him influence at the highest levels of government, he added.

Congress had the power to stop the dismantling of USAID and still does, according to Konyndyk. USAID is legally required to operate, but its remaining programs are struggling due to slow funding releases from the state department. Rasella called it absurd to cut programs designed to prevent future pandemics, especially after the significant global death toll from Covid-19.

Rasella warned that disrupting even one part of the aid system can cause more widespread damage. He believes this is just the beginning of the negative consequences. However, Konyndyk sees an opportunity to act and prevent the worst outcomes by restoring some of the foreign aid programs before the full effects are felt.