{"id":7366,"date":"2025-07-10T16:28:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T16:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afiyafrica.com\/?p=7366"},"modified":"2025-07-10T16:28:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T16:28:47","slug":"millions-at-risk-of-dying-from-aids-as-u-s-funding-drops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afiyafrica.com\/index.php\/en\/news\/millions-at-risk-of-dying-from-aids-as-u-s-funding-drops\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions at Risk of Dying from AIDS as U.S. Funding Drops"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 12 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Six million new HIV infections and four million additional AIDS-related deaths could occur between 2025 and 2029 if U.S.-supported HIV treatment and prevention services collapse completely,<\/strong> a United Nations agency warned on Thursday, highlighting that such cuts threaten to undo over two decades of progress in the fight against the AIDS pandemic.<\/p>\n

According to the head of UNAIDS, this is not just a funding gap\u2014it\u2019s a ticking time bomb.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\u00ab\u00a0We have seen services vanish overnight. Health workers sent home. And people\u2014especially children and key populations\u2014excluded from care,\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong> said Winnie Byanyima<\/strong>, Executive Director of UNAIDS, during the release of the agency\u2019s 2025 Global AIDS Update.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Disruption of U.S. Aid<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In April, UNAIDS had already evaluated the consequences of a permanent interruption of the U.S. President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), estimating that it would result in over six million new infections and 4.2 million AIDS-related deaths in just four years<\/strong>, pushing the pandemic back to levels not seen since the early 2000s.<\/p>\n

In 2025, PEPFAR committed $4.3 billion in bilateral aid. The program supported HIV testing for 84.1 million people<\/strong> and treatment for 20.6 million people<\/strong>, and enabled 2.3 million adolescent girls and young women<\/strong> to access comprehensive HIV prevention services in 2024.<\/p>\n

Roughly 31.6 million people were receiving antiretroviral treatment in 2024<\/strong>, and AIDS-related deaths had been reduced by more than half<\/strong> compared to 2010, the UN report recalled, reigniting concerns about the sustainability of prevention and treatment programs.<\/p>\n

Prevention Programs Severely Affected<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Meanwhile, disruptions are affecting the entire HIV response.<\/p>\n

In Mozambique<\/strong>, more than 30,000 health workers<\/strong> have lost their jobs. In Nigeria<\/strong>, the number of people starting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)<\/strong> dropped from 40,000 to 6,000 per month<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, prevention efforts were already faltering before the withdrawal of U.S. aid. In 2024, there were 1.3 million new infections<\/strong>, nearly the same as the previous year. More than 210,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 24<\/strong> contracted HIV in 2024\u2014an average of 570 new infections per day<\/strong>, according to UNAIDS.<\/p>\n

In 2024, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related causes<\/strong>, 61% of them in sub-Saharan Africa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00ab\u00a0Community-led services, which are essential for reaching marginalized populations, are being dismantled at an alarming rate,\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong> UNAIDS noted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

By early 2025, over 60% of women-led HIV organizations surveyed had lost funding or been forced to suspend services<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Examples of Resilience in Africa<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Despite this bleak outlook, the report also highlights examples of resilience<\/strong>, with countries and communities confronting adversity to preserve gains and move the HIV response forward.<\/p>\n

Only 25 out of 60 low- and middle-income countries<\/strong> in the report increased their national HIV budgets for 2026. The average increase was 8%<\/strong>, representing around $180 million in additional domestic resources<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

South Africa<\/strong> currently funds 77% of its AIDS response<\/strong>, and its 2025 budget review<\/strong> includes a planned 5.9% annual increase in health spending<\/strong> over the next three years, including a 3.3% annual increase<\/strong> for HIV and TB programs.<\/p>\n

Call for Solidarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the Geneva-based UN agency, these steps could mark \u00ab\u00a0the beginnings of a new economic settlement that gives countries the fiscal space to invest in the global HIV response,\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong> according to UNAIDS.<\/p>\n

Still, urgent action and renewed global solidarity<\/strong> are needed to sustain progress and prevent a resurgence of HIV.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00ab\u00a0In times of crisis, the world must choose transformation over retreat,\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong> said Ms. Byanyima.
\u00ab\u00a0Together, we can still end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030\u2014if we act urgently, united, and with unwavering commitment.\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The UNAIDS report<\/strong> was released ahead of the IAS 2025 Scientific Conference on HIV\/AIDS<\/strong>, which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda<\/strong>, from July 13 to 17, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n