World News

Reasons Over Six Million Lives are at Risk if US Cuts HIV/AIDS Funding, Warns UNAIDS

Published by Tope Fakinlede on February 8th, 2025.

Reasons Over Six Million Lives are at Risk if US Cuts HIV/AIDS Funding, Warns UNAIDS

The United Nations AIDS agency (UNAIDS) has issued a dire warning, stating that over six million people could lose their lives to HIV and AIDS within the next four years if the United States pulls its financial support for global programs. Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, spoke to the press in Geneva, highlighting the potential devastating impact of a reduction in U.S. aid.

Although a temporary exemption was made for HIV/AIDS programs in the recent freeze of U.S. foreign aid, Stegling emphasized the continuing uncertainties surrounding the future of treatment efforts. “There’s significant confusion, particularly at the grassroots level, about how this exemption will be applied,” Stegling explained. “This has led to significant disruptions in the provision of essential services.”

When President Trump assumed office on January 20, his administration temporarily withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid. In the following days, however, the U.S. State Department granted an exemption for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which remains the largest global initiative for HIV relief. While UNAIDS welcomed the waiver, Stegling stressed that the situation remains unstable.

Stegling warned that if PEPFAR’s funding is not renewed between 2025 and 2029, AIDS-related deaths could increase by 400%. “That’s over six million lives at risk,” she stated. “Even small reductions or delays in funding will have a significant impact on our progress.”

In countries like Ethiopia, where 5,000 public health worker contracts are funded by U.S. assistance, many of these workers have already seen their contracts terminated. Stegling also pointed out that community clinics, which rely entirely on U.S. funding, are among the hardest hit by the disruptions. She expressed concerns that these challenges could discourage people from seeking treatment, potentially leading to a rise in new HIV infections.

UNAIDS is calling on the international community to step in and ensure that life-saving HIV programs continue to receive the necessary support.