The United Nations AIDS agency, UNAIDS, has issued a stark warning that more than six million people could die from HIV/AIDS within the next four years if the United States withdraws funding for treatment programs.
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Christine Stegling, raised the alarm while addressing journalists in Geneva on Friday. While acknowledging that HIV/AIDS programs were exempted from last month’s U.S. foreign aid freeze, she expressed concerns about the sustainability of treatment initiatives.
“There is a lot of confusion, especially at the community level, about how the waiver will be implemented. We’re already witnessing disruptions in treatment services,” Stegling explained.
Upon assuming office on January 20, former U.S. President Donald Trump put a 90-day freeze on hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid. However, shortly afterward, the U.S. State Department granted a waiver for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the world’s largest HIV initiative, allowing crucial humanitarian aid to continue.
Despite this temporary relief, Stegling warned that unless PEPFAR funding is reauthorized between 2025 and 2029, AIDS-related deaths could surge by 400%. "That’s 6.3 million AIDS-related deaths that could occur in the future. Any cut, any pause, will have devastating consequences," she stressed.
She further highlighted the direct impact of funding reductions, citing Ethiopia as an example: "In Ethiopia alone, 5,000 public health worker contracts funded by U.S. assistance have already been terminated."
Stegling called on UN member states to step in and provide alternative funding to prevent setbacks in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. She also expressed concerns that the funding gap could discourage people from seeking treatment, ultimately leading to an increase in new infections.