UNAids Chief Warns of Catastrophic Impact from US HIV Aid Cuts

The UNAids Chief has highlighted that proposed funding cuts from the US government could result in devastating consequences for global HIV treatment and prevention efforts, with millions of lives at stake.

The chief of UNAids has issued a stark warning regarding the potential fallout from recent cuts to HIV aid by the US government, predicting an alarming increase of 2,000 new HIV infections daily and over six million additional deaths within the next four years. This development would mean a significant setback in the global battle against HIV, where deaths from the disease have fallen from over two million in 2004 to just 600,000 by 2023, according to the latest available statistics.

Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAids, raised concerns about the immediate and devastating effects of the US's decision to pause foreign aid, which includes critical HIV programmes. She urged US officials to reverse these funding cuts, pointing out that women and girls would be disproportionately affected by this decision.

The cuts follow a directive from former President Donald Trump on his first day in office, which put a temporary hold on foreign aid pending a review of federal spending. This decision has led to the suspension of most of the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) initiatives, including vital HIV treatment and prevention efforts, resulting in the closure of clinics and severe shortages of anti-retroviral medications in several African nations.

Byanyima expressed fears of a return to the dire conditions of the 1990s, when access to HIV medication remained limited in lower-income countries, resulting in soaring infection and death rates. Despite acknowledging the US's historical role as the largest funder of HIV initiatives, Byanyima decried the abrupt withdrawal of financial support, which is significantly impacting ongoing efforts to combat the disease.

Recent communications from Washington indicate a lack of responsiveness to appeals for changes to this funding approach. Simultaneously, traditional European donors are also signaling potential cuts, leaving UNAids without alternative funding sources to make up for the US contributions.

During a recent briefing in Geneva, Byanyima shared the burden on individuals affected by these cuts by recounting the story of Juliana, a Kenyan woman with HIV impacted by the suspension of a US-funded program aimed at supporting new mothers like herself. Alongside Juliana, countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa risk running out of HIV treatment drugs due to US funding pauses, with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stating that such disruptions "could undo 20 years of progress."

Further underscoring the urgency of the crisis, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) from South Africa emphasized a desperate need to avoid regression to a time when accessible services for HIV treatment were severely lacking.

In response to the ongoing crisis, Byanyima suggested a partnership with the Trump administration to promote Lenacapavir, a new US-developed injectable HIV treatment that could reach millions and simultaneously generate profits for the US economy. However, UNAids, along with several other UN agencies, now faces the threat of significant funding deficits, which could jeopardize projects aimed at child mortality reduction and humanitarian efforts in famine-stricken areas.