The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that millions of people in eight countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Lesotho, could soon face a life-threatening shortage of HIV drugs due to the US government’s recent decision to pause foreign aid.
The aid freeze, initiated by US President Donald Trump on his first day in office in January, has severely disrupted global health programs. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that the interruption could erase 20 years of progress in combating HIV, potentially resulting in over 10 million new cases and three million additional HIV-related deaths.
Among the affected nations are six African countries—Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Mali—along with Haiti and Ukraine. These countries are expected to run out of life-saving antiretroviral (ARV) medicines within months if aid is not restored, Dr. Tedros stated in a press conference on Monday.
The US government’s decision aligns with Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and includes a 90-day pause on foreign aid programs. However, the impact has been immediate and widespread. Health initiatives worldwide, including the supply chain for critical medical supplies like HIV drugs, have been significantly disrupted. The majority of the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) health programs have since been terminated, further exacerbating the crisis.
Despite a waiver granted in February to protect the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the program has still suffered extensive setbacks. PEPFAR, which has saved over 26 million lives since its launch in 2003, depends on logistical support from USAID and other affected agencies. As a result, HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services in over 50 countries have come to an abrupt halt.
The freeze also extends to US contributions to WHO, with the Trump administration announcing plans to withdraw from the global health agency entirely. While Dr. Tedros acknowledged the US’s longstanding financial support for global health, he urged the administration to ensure an orderly transition if funding is to be withdrawn, allowing affected countries time to secure alternative sources.
With sub-Saharan Africa home to over 25 million people living with HIV—more than two-thirds of the global total—the crisis could have catastrophic consequences. WHO has appealed to the US to reconsider its decision, emphasizing that supporting global health efforts not only saves lives worldwide but also safeguards the US by preventing international disease outbreaks.
