The former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the Trump Administration’s decision to cut back on epidemic prevention activities worldwide could lead to the next global pandemic. Dr. Tom Frieden, who served as director of the CDC from 2009 until 2017, said that such cuts are a very bad idea and put the world at risk.

Frieden’s comments come after news that the CDC informed personnel it would discontinue work in 39 of 49 countries where workers are engaged in preventing infectious diseases like Ebola and Zika. The decision was made due to a lack of new funding that would be needed to support such programs.

“We can either help other countries stop disease outbreaks abroad or fight them here at home,” Frieden said according to a CNN report. “If funding for global health security isn’t found, CDC will have to retreat from the front lines of fighting not terrorism but terrible organisms in 30 countries.

“Not only would this set back scientific, technical and diplomatic relationships that have taken years to develop, it would significantly increase the chance an epidemic will spread without our knowledge and endanger lives in our country and around the world,” he added.