Matthew Kavanagh
@matthewkavanagh.bsky.social
Prof of Global Health and Law, Director, Center for Global Health Policy & Politics
Georgetown University
https://ghpp.georgetown.edu/profiles/matthew-m-kavanagh-phd/
Georgetown University
https://ghpp.georgetown.edu/profiles/matthew-m-kavanagh-phd/
Don’t agree w Cato on that much, but here they’re spot on.
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
February 4, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Don’t agree w Cato on that much, but here they’re spot on.
Really wish I thought the answer to whether the answer “Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic” is “yes and no.”
Very hard to see how the answer in the aggregate is yes given inequality, anti-multilateralism, and weakened political capacity of public health
Very hard to see how the answer in the aggregate is yes given inequality, anti-multilateralism, and weakened political capacity of public health
"No country can prevent or manage a pandemic alone."
This is such a familiar refrain that it almost makes me nostalgic.
www.who.int/news/item/02...
This is such a familiar refrain that it almost makes me nostalgic.
www.who.int/news/item/02...
Six years after COVID-19’s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?
Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus diseas...
www.who.int
February 3, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Really wish I thought the answer to whether the answer “Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic” is “yes and no.”
Very hard to see how the answer in the aggregate is yes given inequality, anti-multilateralism, and weakened political capacity of public health
Very hard to see how the answer in the aggregate is yes given inequality, anti-multilateralism, and weakened political capacity of public health
Debería tirar más fotos.
February 2, 2026 at 10:44 AM
Debería tirar más fotos.
US democratic backsliding has been faster than in Turkey, Russia, Hungary. Importantly “characterised primarily by one-time unilateral executive actions” which js potentially more reversible.
@data.ft.com
@data.ft.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:30 PM
US democratic backsliding has been faster than in Turkey, Russia, Hungary. Importantly “characterised primarily by one-time unilateral executive actions” which js potentially more reversible.
@data.ft.com
@data.ft.com
I know this is obvious, but my ancestors were immigrants. They had no “papers.” They got on boats to escape famine and economic hardship.
ICE is more aberration than continuity in US history.
ICE is more aberration than continuity in US history.
February 1, 2026 at 3:36 AM
I know this is obvious, but my ancestors were immigrants. They had no “papers.” They got on boats to escape famine and economic hardship.
ICE is more aberration than continuity in US history.
ICE is more aberration than continuity in US history.
Reposted by Matthew Kavanagh
Tonight I watched Prime Minister Mark Carney take the actual Heated Rivalry Canada fleece from Hudson Williams, slip it on and say: “This is true soft power.”
January 30, 2026 at 12:41 AM
Tonight I watched Prime Minister Mark Carney take the actual Heated Rivalry Canada fleece from Hudson Williams, slip it on and say: “This is true soft power.”
House Ball culture is pro-public health... Sometimes public health research is just lovely.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Participation in the House-Ball Community as a Social Determinant of HIV Care and Prevention Outcomes Among Transgender Women of Color
House-ball scenes around the world have historically been a community for queer people to form chosen families and social networks and be exposed to c…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:45 PM
House Ball culture is pro-public health... Sometimes public health research is just lovely.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Matthew Kavanagh
Take a look at @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social's essay that considers how global public investment is critical for future engagement, arguing, "A new vision for global health must move toward mechanisms that treat health as a truly global public good."
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
The Rupture in Global Health Is a Warning - Science Politics
Explore how The Rupture in Global Health Is a Warning for future governance and support systems in health programs worldwide.
sciencepolitics.org
January 26, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Take a look at @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social's essay that considers how global public investment is critical for future engagement, arguing, "A new vision for global health must move toward mechanisms that treat health as a truly global public good."
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
Reposted by Matthew Kavanagh
Via @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social on new negotiated agreements with former USAID partner countries: "...what is being sold as autonomy is, in practice, a more transactional and conditional model of engagement that mirrors rather than reduces the colonial relationships critics have long decried."
In his new Science Politics #USAID piece, Matthew Kavanagh argues that shifts in #globalhealth signal a rupture from the post-WWII #foreignaid model, not a transition. He warns against structural #inequality and emphasizes global cooperation and #democracy.
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
January 27, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Via @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social on new negotiated agreements with former USAID partner countries: "...what is being sold as autonomy is, in practice, a more transactional and conditional model of engagement that mirrors rather than reduces the colonial relationships critics have long decried."
In @sciencepolitics.bsky.social I argue America First is selling as autonomy a more transactional, conditional model that mirrors, not reduces, coloniality.
But simply looking to restore what was is neither sufficient nor possible. A new vision is needed...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
But simply looking to restore what was is neither sufficient nor possible. A new vision is needed...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
The Rupture in Global Health Is a Warning - Science Politics
Explore how The Rupture in Global Health Is a Warning for future governance and support systems in health programs worldwide.
sciencepolitics.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:59 PM
In @sciencepolitics.bsky.social I argue America First is selling as autonomy a more transactional, conditional model that mirrors, not reduces, coloniality.
But simply looking to restore what was is neither sufficient nor possible. A new vision is needed...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
But simply looking to restore what was is neither sufficient nor possible. A new vision is needed...
sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/26/t...
Healthcare remains at the heart of US politics because we are the wealthiest country in the world but no universal health system.
Dear Dems: the policy window is open (yes Kingdon)
Running on "subsidies for your not-great private insurance plan" doesnt cut it www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
Dear Dems: the policy window is open (yes Kingdon)
Running on "subsidies for your not-great private insurance plan" doesnt cut it www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
The cost of health care, not food or rent, is now Americans’ top worry
As politicians prepare their pitches for the midterm elections, a survey finds that about 1 in 3 Americans are “very worried” about health care costs.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Healthcare remains at the heart of US politics because we are the wealthiest country in the world but no universal health system.
Dear Dems: the policy window is open (yes Kingdon)
Running on "subsidies for your not-great private insurance plan" doesnt cut it www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
Dear Dems: the policy window is open (yes Kingdon)
Running on "subsidies for your not-great private insurance plan" doesnt cut it www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
Reposted by Matthew Kavanagh
The scramble for Africa redux/continued.
The U.S. is using PEPFAR funding and other health aid as leverage extract control of the mining sector in Zambia.
www.lusakatimes.com/2026/01/25/z...
The U.S. is using PEPFAR funding and other health aid as leverage extract control of the mining sector in Zambia.
www.lusakatimes.com/2026/01/25/z...
January 28, 2026 at 1:38 PM
The scramble for Africa redux/continued.
The U.S. is using PEPFAR funding and other health aid as leverage extract control of the mining sector in Zambia.
www.lusakatimes.com/2026/01/25/z...
The U.S. is using PEPFAR funding and other health aid as leverage extract control of the mining sector in Zambia.
www.lusakatimes.com/2026/01/25/z...
So much gross cynicism here:
-Trump admin adopts the rhetoric of decolonizaation to justify nakedly extractive deals
-Defenders of aid (ahem Andrew Natsios) respond with "capacity is not there" and it will be "crippled by graft" (pot? kettle?)
No to all of this...
www.axios.com/2026/01/14/t...
-Trump admin adopts the rhetoric of decolonizaation to justify nakedly extractive deals
-Defenders of aid (ahem Andrew Natsios) respond with "capacity is not there" and it will be "crippled by graft" (pot? kettle?)
No to all of this...
www.axios.com/2026/01/14/t...
Inside Trump's $11 billion health plan to replace "neo-colonial" USAID
The new program aims to boost U.S. influence and interests in developing nations without the NGOs delivered services through USAID.
www.axios.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:59 PM
So much gross cynicism here:
-Trump admin adopts the rhetoric of decolonizaation to justify nakedly extractive deals
-Defenders of aid (ahem Andrew Natsios) respond with "capacity is not there" and it will be "crippled by graft" (pot? kettle?)
No to all of this...
www.axios.com/2026/01/14/t...
-Trump admin adopts the rhetoric of decolonizaation to justify nakedly extractive deals
-Defenders of aid (ahem Andrew Natsios) respond with "capacity is not there" and it will be "crippled by graft" (pot? kettle?)
No to all of this...
www.axios.com/2026/01/14/t...
Good morning DC
January 26, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Good morning DC
I am glad to see the WHO actively combatting the lies coming from Trump around WHO, COVID, and reasons for withdrawal. Better than in past when said nothing. How this will help trigger other member states to step up more boldly
The @who.int response to the U.S. withdrawal is a masterclass in diplomacy: calm, factual, and respectful. It acknowledges the decision while stating plainly that it makes both the U.S. and the world less safe.
www.who.int/news/item/24...
www.who.int/news/item/24...
WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States
WHO regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe. The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be con...
www.who.int
January 24, 2026 at 8:57 PM
I am glad to see the WHO actively combatting the lies coming from Trump around WHO, COVID, and reasons for withdrawal. Better than in past when said nothing. How this will help trigger other member states to step up more boldly
Neo-royalism is the most helpful recent frame to understand what the heck is going on… thnx Abe
Greenland is not about great power competition. So what is going on…neo-royalism.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Despite Trump’s Words, China and Russia Are Not Threatening Greenland
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Neo-royalism is the most helpful recent frame to understand what the heck is going on… thnx Abe
Reposted by Matthew Kavanagh
The United States has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization.
This is a shameful move that puts both Americans and people all over the world at greater risk from disease outbreaks, which require international collaboration to contain.
This is a shameful move that puts both Americans and people all over the world at greater risk from disease outbreaks, which require international collaboration to contain.
January 23, 2026 at 1:57 AM
The United States has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization.
This is a shameful move that puts both Americans and people all over the world at greater risk from disease outbreaks, which require international collaboration to contain.
This is a shameful move that puts both Americans and people all over the world at greater risk from disease outbreaks, which require international collaboration to contain.
This this this…
January 23, 2026 at 2:26 AM
This this this…
No, Bilateral deals will not make up for withdrawal from
@who.int. The administration has agreements with 9 of 194 countries, not one of which had 1st detected cases in recent crises. Whole point of WHO is stopping outbreaks requires collaboration with countries even if they are not close allies.
@who.int. The administration has agreements with 9 of 194 countries, not one of which had 1st detected cases in recent crises. Whole point of WHO is stopping outbreaks requires collaboration with countries even if they are not close allies.
January 22, 2026 at 7:03 PM
No, Bilateral deals will not make up for withdrawal from
@who.int. The administration has agreements with 9 of 194 countries, not one of which had 1st detected cases in recent crises. Whole point of WHO is stopping outbreaks requires collaboration with countries even if they are not close allies.
@who.int. The administration has agreements with 9 of 194 countries, not one of which had 1st detected cases in recent crises. Whole point of WHO is stopping outbreaks requires collaboration with countries even if they are not close allies.
Al Gore booing Lutnick at Davos is 2026.
www.ft.com/content/e2ae...
www.ft.com/content/e2ae...
Howard Lutnick heckled at Davos dinner as Christine Lagarde walks out
Event hosted by Larry Fink descended into uproar after combative remarks by US commerce secretary
www.ft.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Al Gore booing Lutnick at Davos is 2026.
www.ft.com/content/e2ae...
www.ft.com/content/e2ae...
The transformation of the US CDC from scientific powerhouse to second rate PR machine is breathtaking, tragic.
No, you don’t lose elimination status from imported cases, you lose it from national
transmission you can’t stop with vaccines and outbreak response.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/c...
No, you don’t lose elimination status from imported cases, you lose it from national
transmission you can’t stop with vaccines and outbreak response.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/c...
Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’
The principal deputy director of the CDC said he would not view the loss of the United States' measles elimination status as a significant event.
www.statnews.com
January 21, 2026 at 10:49 AM
The transformation of the US CDC from scientific powerhouse to second rate PR machine is breathtaking, tragic.
No, you don’t lose elimination status from imported cases, you lose it from national
transmission you can’t stop with vaccines and outbreak response.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/c...
No, you don’t lose elimination status from imported cases, you lose it from national
transmission you can’t stop with vaccines and outbreak response.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/c...
A rupture not a transition
Carney: "American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods, a stable financial system... this bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition... recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as a weapon. Tariffs as leverage ... "
January 21, 2026 at 3:00 AM
A rupture not a transition
Reposted by Matthew Kavanagh
Today: US set to withdraw officially from the World Health Organization, 1 year notice fulfilled, but:
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
January 20, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Today: US set to withdraw officially from the World Health Organization, 1 year notice fulfilled, but:
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
Today: US set to withdraw officially from the World Health Organization, 1 year notice fulfilled, but:
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
January 20, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Today: US set to withdraw officially from the World Health Organization, 1 year notice fulfilled, but:
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
-US has still not paid it's dues so withdrawal in violation of US law
-WHO facing existential threat bigger than US
A thread...
Lula: “In more than 200 years of independent history, this is the first time that South America has come under direct military attack by the United States, though American forces previously intervened in the region…. We will not be subservient to hegemonic endeavors”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...
Opinion | Lula: This Hemisphere Belongs to All of Us
www.nytimes.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Lula: “In more than 200 years of independent history, this is the first time that South America has come under direct military attack by the United States, though American forces previously intervened in the region…. We will not be subservient to hegemonic endeavors”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...