UN Warns That US Cuts to HIV Aid Could Result In 4 Million Deaths

(VOR News) – HIV/AIDS-related deaths have fallen to their lowest level in more than 40 years as a result of the fight against the virus. On the other hand, economists believe that a drop in U.S. backing may undo such gains.

A report issued by the United Nations on Thursday suggests that if the money is not returned, there could be an additional six million cases of HIV infection and over four million deaths from AIDS by 2029, according to Associated Press reporting.

Millions of people in the countries most afflicted by the disease have benefited greatly from the aid in the years since President George W. Bush established the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003. The United Nations effort, which was mainly concerned with the fight against HIV, called PEPFAR a “lifeline.”

According to the Associated Press, the endeavor resulted in the treatment of over 20 million HIV patients and the testing of over 84 million.

Nigeria, for instance, pays 99.9% of the cost of HIV prevention medications.

In January, the United States abruptly canceled a $4 billion global HIV financing request. This funding disappeared overnight without any clear explanation after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to eliminate the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and suspended international financial support.

The decision has already resulted in severe consequences, including the closure of clinics, the loss of staff at hundreds of medical facilities, the discontinuation of testing, and the lack of access to healthcare for a large segment of the HIV community.

Tom Ellman, a member of the group Doctors Without Borders, said, “There is nothing we can do to protect these countries from the abrupt and vicious withdrawal of support from the United States.”

Andrew Hill, an HIV specialist at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, says that while President Trump may limit aid, “any responsible government would have given advance warning so that countries could plan.” This is what Hill said.

In 2024, AIDS directly caused the deaths of almost 630,000 persons worldwide. According to the Associated Press, the number of fatalities peaked in 2004 at two million people.

However, the development has been uneven.

Additionally, half of all newly acquired HIV infections continue to occur in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS.

Do you think I should be worried about anything else? The information has been lost. Most of Africa’s HIV surveillance programs received funding from the United States of America; however, many of these programs stopped collecting data from patients and hospitals at this time.

Epidemiologist and research professor Dr. Chris Beyrer of Duke University said that “it will be extremely difficult to put a stop to the spread of HIV if we do not have reliable data about how the virus is proliferating.”

Beyrer made this statement.

Despite all of these challenges, there is still a chance. Gilead is the company behind the novel injectable medication Yeztugo. A month ago, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave it their blessing.

The drug is given twice a year and has been shown in several recent clinical trials to be fully effective in halting the spread of HIV, according to The Associated Press.

The South African Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, said in a statement that his government will do everything possible to make the medication available to everyone who needs it, with a focus on adolescents who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The experts speculate that the new drug might be too costly in many nations. In 120 low-income nations with high HIV incidence rates, Gilead intends to offer generic versions at more affordable pricing; however, most Latin American nations have been left out of this option.

“We could be ending AIDS,” stated Peter Maybarduk, who founded the Public Citizen movement. “We could very well be.” “We could be making history.” “Instead, the U.S. is abandoning the fight.”

SOURCE: MP