ADDIS ABABA:
The head of the UN’s AIDS program warned that the suspension of US foreign aid could lead to millions of additional deaths from AIDS. The US is the largest global provider of development assistance, with most of the funds funneled through USAID.
In January, President Donald Trump halted most US foreign aid for three months, severely impacting international humanitarian efforts. UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima expressed grave concern about the consequences, stressing that AIDS relief funding is crucial for saving lives.
The suspension included a 90-day halt of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which supports over 20 million HIV patients and 270,000 health workers globally. Byanyima warned that this disruption could lead to a significant rise in AIDS-related deaths, possibly increasing by tenfold to 6.3 million within five years. Additionally, new infections could surge to 8.7 million during the same period.
Despite the US stating that life-saving treatments would be exempt from the freeze, frontline workers in Africa have reported the closure of essential facilities. On the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Byanyima urged leaders to shift from relying on foreign aid to using domestic revenue to fund HIV and AIDS programs.
