The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns that several countries, including Nigeria and Kenya, could soon face severe shortages of HIV medications due to a pause in US foreign aid. This situation is the result of a decision made by US President Donald Trump to halt foreign aid in January, as part of a review of government spending.
The WHO has highlighted eight countries—six of which are in Africa—that are at risk of running out of essential antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which are vital in the treatment and prevention of HIV. These countries include Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, as well as Haiti and Ukraine.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s Director-General, warned that disruptions to HIV programs could undo two decades of progress in combating the disease. He further emphasized that this could result in over 10 million new HIV cases and 3 million HIV-related deaths, which would be more than triple the current annual death toll.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been a key provider of HIV-related aid, has been greatly impacted by the freeze on foreign aid. Pepfar, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, launched in 2003, has been particularly affected. The program, which has saved over 26 million lives globally, relies on support from USAID and other organizations, which have seen their operations severely disrupted by the aid freeze.
According to Dr. Tedros, the halt in funding has resulted in a stoppage of HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services in more than 50 countries. The WHO also emphasized that sub-Saharan Africa—home to over 25 million people living with HIV—would be disproportionately affected, as it contains more than two-thirds of the world’s total HIV-positive population.
In Nigeria, nearly 2 million people are living with HIV, many of whom rely on foreign-funded treatments. Kenya, with the seventh-largest HIV-positive population globally (around 1.4 million people), is also at risk of facing critical shortages.
The WHO has called on the US to reconsider its approach to global health, emphasizing that continued support not only saves lives but also helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases worldwide. Dr. Tedros reminded the US that it has a responsibility to ensure that any withdrawal of funding is carried out in a humane and orderly manner, allowing countries to secure alternative sources of aid.
Global Implications of the US Foreign Aid Freeze
The situation has sparked global concerns about the broader impacts of the US foreign aid freeze, particularly on global health programs that rely on US funding to address key health challenges like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
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