LONDON – As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with US President Donald Trump today, new analysis from the ONE Campaign demonstrates the devasting consequences of the UK’s decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income.

The analysis reveals the potential outcomes if the planned 40% reduction in UK aid is distributed evenly across global health and food programmes: 

• 37,888,889 fewer children immunised against measles, polio, rotavirus and other deadly diseases through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – equivalent to more than twice the entire child population of the UK.
• 601,130 fewer lives saved due to reductions in support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, more than the entire population of Glasgow.
• 292,727 fewer school children receiving nutritious meals and essential food assistance through the World Food Programme. 

“These cuts do not just critically undermine the UK’s global reputation, they threaten stability, weaken global health security, and diminish the UK’s ability to respond to future crises. A retreat from a forward-looking, generous Britain risks deepening instability worldwide,” said Adrian Lovett, UK Executive Director, ONE. “The UK has long been a leader in smart, strategic development investments that deliver results. The decision to scale back now, when the need is greatest, sends the wrong message to allies and adversaries alike. There is an urgent need to stop these cuts and reaffirm the UK’s commitment to global development as the first line of defence against some of our greatest global threats and a vital investment in a safer, healthier, and more prosperous world for all.”

Notes to editors: 

Conflict Prevention is 100 Times Less Costly than Crisis Response: Analysis from ONE found every $1 spent on activities that spur economic growth and political stability can avert spending of up to $103 on a future conflict. 

Three-quarters of Brits believe the UK has a responsibility to help address global challenges. Recent polling from More in Common, commissioned by the ONE Campaign found strong support from Britons to for UK leadership on global challenges, including:

• Three-quarters of Brits believe the UK has a responsibility to help address global challenges, yet only 14% think Britain remains a global leader today – compared to 35% 20 years ago.
• Gen Z respondents were twice as likely as all other respondents to think the UK should engage more actively on global issues (37% vs 16%) and provide more aid (22% vs 11%).
• 57% of Britons think developed countries have failed to deliver on the commitments Nelson Mandela called for in 2005, including fairer trade, debt relief, and high-quality aid.
• Two-thirds of respondents believe global challenges – such as poverty, inequality, and climate change – are more severe now than in 2005.

Notes on data:

• For Global Fund, the estimate is for years 2027-2029.
• For Gavi, the estimate is for years 2026-2030.
• For World Food Programme, it assumes 2023 levels of funding are cut by 40% for a one-year period.