Feb 11, 2025 Story by: Editor
LONDON (AP) — The head of the U.N. AIDS agency warned on Monday that new HIV infections could surge more than sixfold by 2029 if the U.S. withdraws its support for the largest global AIDS program. She cautioned that such a move could lead to millions of deaths and an increased prevalence of drug-resistant strains of the virus.
Speaking to The Associated Press, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima highlighted that HIV cases have been steadily declining, with 1.3 million new infections reported in 2023—a 60% drop from the peak in 1995.
However, following former President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze all foreign aid for 90 days, Byanyima stated that projections indicate a sharp rise in HIV infections by 2029. Estimates suggest 8.7 million new cases, a tenfold increase in AIDS-related deaths—reaching 6.3 million—and an additional 3.4 million children left orphaned.
“We will see a surge in this disease,” Byanyima said from Uganda. “This will cost lives if the American government doesn’t change its mind and maintain its leadership,” she added, emphasizing that she was not criticizing any government policy.
Byanyima urged the Trump administration to reconsider the funding freeze, noting that the decision had already triggered “panic, fear and confusion” in several African nations severely affected by AIDS.
She pointed to immediate consequences, citing the example of one Kenyan county where 550 HIV workers lost their jobs overnight. Similarly, in Ethiopia, thousands of healthcare workers were dismissed, leaving officials struggling to monitor the epidemic.
The withdrawal of U.S. funding has had devastating effects in some countries, where external contributions—primarily from the U.S.—fund nearly 90% of HIV programs. According to Byanyima, nearly $400 million is allocated to nations such as Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
“We can work with (the Americans) on how to decrease their contribution if they wish to decrease it,” she stated. Byanyima described the U.S. pullback from global HIV initiatives as the second most significant crisis in the field—second only to the prolonged wait for lifesaving antiretroviral treatments to reach low-income nations after they became available in wealthier countries.
She further stressed that the loss of American support would severely undermine global efforts to combat HIV. Source: AP News
