UNAIDS Warns of Catastrophic HIV Surge as US Funding Cuts Loom

A stark warning has been issued by UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, who predicts a potential six-fold increase in new HIV infections by 2029 if critical American financial support for global AIDS programs is withdrawn. Speaking from Uganda, Byanyima emphasized that such a cut could lead to millions of deaths, the emergence of more drug-resistant strains of the virus, and a devastating surge in the disease.

Byanyima’s concerns stem from a recent announcement by the US government to freeze all foreign assistance for 90 days. While new HIV cases have been on a downward trend, reaching 1.3 million in 2023—a 60% decline since the 1995 peak—UNAIDS estimates that by 2029, a withdrawal of US funding could result in 8.7 million new HIV infections, 6.3 million AIDS-related deaths, and an additional 3.4 million orphaned children. Immediate repercussions are already being felt, with reports of 550 HIV workers laid off in one Kenyan county and thousands more terminated in Ethiopia, severely hampering efforts to track and combat the epidemic.

For many countries, external funding, primarily from the United States, accounts for approximately 90% of their HIV programs, with nearly $400 million directed to nations like Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Byanyima described the potential American withdrawal as the second-biggest crisis in the fight against HIV, second only to the historical delay in providing life-saving antiretrovirals to poorer nations.

The timing of this potential cut is particularly critical, Byanyima noted, as the medical community is on the cusp of widespread adoption of lenacapavir (Sunlenca), a twice-yearly injectable drug developed by American company Gilead, which has shown remarkable efficacy in preventing HIV. She argued that international aid has not only supported innovation by US companies but also offers a mutually beneficial solution, as foreign assistance constitutes less than 1% of the overall US budget. Byanyima urged the US government to reconsider, highlighting that no other countries have yet committed to filling the anticipated funding void, despite ongoing discussions with European leaders. “People are going to die because life-saving tools have been taken away from them,” she asserted, underscoring the urgent humanitarian crisis at hand.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.