Former foreign secretary David Miliband has criticised aid reductions by both the British government and Donald Trump’s administration, arguing that they undermine efforts to prevent deadly disease outbreaks and address global poverty. He said cuts to US funding in the Democratic Republic of Congo contributed to the return of Ebola by weakening basic sanitation and infection-control measures.

Miliband said the UK’s decision to reduce overseas aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income was short-sighted and damaging to Britain’s interests. He cited severe child malnutrition and maternal deaths as problems where aid can save lives, while noting that his organisation’s annual budget had fallen from $1.5bn to $1bn under Trump; he declined to comment on his brother Ed’s appointment as foreign secretary.