October 1 ushered in a new era in U.S. foreign aid. What's the plan? Will it work?

Starting October 1, the Trump administration says the U.S. will usher in a new era of global healthcare funding under an “America First Global Health Strategy.” The plan rewrites how money for health programs flows to low- and middle-income countries by tying U.S. support to concrete “benefits,” such as country commitments to spend their own funds and, controversially, potential access to minerals or confidential patient data. To qualify, countries must sign a Memorandum of Understanding outlining U.S. investment and the recipient government’s financial pledge. Analysts say the approach has merit but may be rolling out too quickly, and reactions among nations are mixed.