As the world grapples with shifting political winds and mounting health crises, a wave of repercussions from recent U.S. policy changes is being felt far beyond its borders. In the heart of Winnipeg, Dr. Jesse Krikorian, a family physician who recently left Michigan, is settling into his new role at Klinic Community Health. His move isn’t just a personal career step—it’s a reflection of a much larger story unfolding across North America and the globe.
Dr. Krikorian’s decision to relocate northward was shaped by the increasingly fraught political climate in the United States, especially concerning public health and care for underserved populations. "A lot of my care focuses on underserved populations, including trans health," Krikorian told CBC News. He explained that recent years have seen evidence-based medicine, such as vaccines and gender-affirming care, come under intense scrutiny and attack, particularly after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. "I wanted [to go] somewhere where it was more of a sure bet that I was going to be able to provide the care that I know is necessary for my patients."
For Krikorian and many of his colleagues, the U.S. has become an increasingly challenging environment for both doctors and patients. He expressed deep concern for those he left behind, saying, "I continue to be very worried about my friends and … my former patients back in the U.S. This care is becoming very hard to access, and we know that it can really improve quality of life. And I'm also worried about the increasing level of rhetoric around trans rights. This is a population that's already at risk."
Krikorian’s story is not unique. According to Doctors Manitoba, the province has seen a notable uptick in interest from American physicians. Manitoba, which typically hired an average of just two U.S.-trained doctors per year over the past 15 years, has now registered 10 since Trump’s election, with eight more applications open. Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president of Doctors Manitoba, called the recent numbers "very encouraging," and noted, "It’s very encouraging to hear that 2025 is shaping up to be a record year." Still, she cautioned that the province continues to face a record shortage of healthcare professionals.
The Manitoba government has responded by ramping up recruitment efforts. This summer, it launched an eight-week, $500,000 advertising campaign targeting healthcare workers in four U.S. states—specifically those that have imposed limitations on gender-affirming care or banned abortion. Doctors Manitoba also began its own recruitment push shortly after Trump’s return to office. As Krikorian noted, "There are a lot of U.S. doctors who are considering … international options, but for whom Manitoba might not be on the radar, on the map." He admitted he knew little about the province before finding his current job listing, suggesting that increased awareness could have a "big impact."
Other Canadian provinces aren’t sitting idle. Ontario reported that more than 260 U.S.-board certified doctors have moved there so far this year, aided by streamlined processes. British Columbia, meanwhile, hired 38 American doctors and 90 nurses after a $5 million digital ad blitz. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan have all launched similar initiatives since Trump’s election, aiming to turn U.S. political instability into an opportunity to shore up their own health systems.
But the effects of U.S. political shifts aren’t limited to North American borders. The global health community is sounding alarms over the United States’ retreat from its traditional leadership role. Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently urged countries like Australia to "step up to prevent catastrophic and preventable loss of life" in the wake of sweeping U.S. funding cuts to national and global health programs. Speaking to Guardian Australia, Frieden detailed a raft of executive actions and budget slashes under Trump’s administration: the freezing of foreign aid, dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), and proposals to halve CDC funding, among others.
Perhaps most controversially, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken anti-vaccine activist with no formal health credentials, was appointed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in February 2025. He has since used his platform to spread vaccine misinformation. The impact has been swift and severe: over $1 billion in funding cuts to Gavi, a global alliance that helps vaccinate the world’s poorest children, now threaten to reverse decades of progress. "The CDC has long been a cornerstone of collaboration, information sharing, expertise and rapid response capacity," Frieden said. "When those systems are dismantled, there can be life-and-death global consequences. The US decision to stop funding Gavi and cut other global health programs is heartbreaking and could cost millions of lives, especially of children."
The ripple effects are already being documented. A paper published in October 2025 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal warned that U.S. cuts to tuberculosis and HIV programs could result in "millions of additional childhood tuberculosis cases and deaths" over the next decade in low- and middle-income countries. "Halving malaria and tuberculosis funding and cutting support to WHO undermines decades of progress and weakens our collective defence against future pandemics," Frieden added.
In response to these challenges, Australia is taking proactive steps. The country is set to launch its own CDC in January 2026, designed to provide independent, transparent, and evidence-based public health advice. According to a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the new CDC will "bring together critical information and experts from across government" and work closely with international partners. The spokesperson emphasized that investing in global health is essential "to better protect the health and wellbeing of the Australian community, our region and the world."
Professor Allen Cheng, director of infectious diseases at Monash Health and former co-chair of the Australia Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, noted that while Australia does consider U.S. guidance, it has the capacity to make independent decisions and works with a range of international agencies. He cautioned, however, that U.S. cuts might impair drug review processes and increase global misinformation risks. "We would usually regard advice from governments and public health agencies to be credible and reliable, but we’re now having to look twice at everything coming from the US to check," Cheng said. He also warned that the absence of robust U.S. support during outbreaks—like Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo—could have unforeseen consequences.
Frieden echoed these concerns, warning that "misinformation can put pressure on the agency to make decisions based on ideology instead of evidence," referencing the FDA’s controversial decision not to authorize Covid vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women. Still, he remains optimistic: "Evidence, persistence and truth can overcome even the most entrenched opposition."
The story of Dr. Krikorian and the broader shifts in global health leadership underscore a pivotal moment: as the U.S. steps back, other nations and provinces are moving forward, seeking to fill the gaps and protect vulnerable populations. For patients and practitioners alike, the stakes have rarely felt higher.