Global Health Diplomats | Two weeks of Trump: Our Reaction

Welcome to Global Health Diplomats, a special project of A Shot in the Arm Podcast, brought to you with the support of the John Martin Foundation. Host Ben Plumley joins Ambassador Eric Goosby to discuss the shocking recent announcements from the U.S. administration regarding foreign aid, global health funding, and the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).

With sweeping stop-work orders on PEPFAR, USAID, and State Department programs, the global health community is in turmoil. How will these changes impact HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and global health diplomacy? Can we find a path forward, or is this a wholesale dismantling of decades of U.S. leadership in global health?

Ben and Eric also discuss the domestic implications of the administration’s controversial policies, including temporary disruptions in federally funded healthcare programs, attacks on transgender rights, and the controversial nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

[00:00:15] Introduction from the Mall of Africa, South Africa

[00:01:42] Uncertainty and anxiety over U.S. foreign aid decisions

[00:02:36] The importance of U.S. global health funding—how much influence does it really have?

[00:03:45] Is there a method to the madness, or is this a chaotic approach to policy?

[00:06:40] PEPFAR’s funding threat: How a stop-work order could dismantle 23 years of progress

[00:09:15] The attack on "soft power"—is the U.S. retreating from global leadership?

[00:12:40] Will the Trump administration engage in dialogue, or is this a unilateral shift?

[00:14:55] The devastating consequences of withdrawing from the WHO

[00:19:06] The impact on partner countries—will they be left to pick up the pieces?

[00:22:22] The chaos surrounding U.S. domestic health programs

[00:28:53] The rollback of transgender rights and its broader implications

[00:34:59] HHS nominee RFK Jr.—a deeply controversial choice

[00:41:55] What’s next? A call for pragmatic dialogue and action

The stakes for global health, HIV/AIDS funding, and human rights have never been higher. What can advocates, organizations, and individuals do in the face of these challenges? Listen in as we break it all down.

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