"US budget cuts mean that 27 African countries today are experiencing staff shortages and disruptions in diagnostic and treatment systems, as well as collapsing surveillance systems.", said UNAIDS director Winnie Byanyima at a press conference in Geneva. "In the longer term, we see the AIDS pandemic resurging globally, not only in low-income countries (...) in Africa, but also among key populations in Eastern Europe and Latin America.", And "We will see people dying, as we saw in the 1990s and 2000s," she said.
"We are going to see a real resurgence of this disease."
"We are going to see a real resurgence of this disease," she insisted, launching a direct appeal to President Donald Trump to "make a deal" on disease prevention, which brings in far more than it costs. The suspension of US foreign aid for several months has caused confusion and disruption in the global network to fight AIDS, despite the exemption granted by the Trump administration to certain programs, UNAIDS, itself funded 50% by the United States, had already warned in early February.
According to the UN agency, without a resumption of aid from the United States, and while no other state has announced its intention to replace them, there will be 6.3 million additional deaths due to AIDS over the next four years. This is "ten times more" than in 2023, said Ms. Byanyima. "We risk losing the progress made over the last 25 years. This is very serious," she warned.
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"The suddenness of the withdrawal of vital aid has a devastating impact in all countries."
Ms. Byanyima explained that "The United States has been an incredible partner for us." and worked in "close collaboration" with the Pepfar program, launched by former President George W. Bush to fight AIDS, also affected by budget cuts. But "The suddenness of the withdrawal of US funding led to the closure of many clinics and the layoff of thousands of health workers," she noted.
If she believes "It is reasonable that the United States would want to reduce its funding over time.", the senior UN official recalls that "The suddenness of the withdrawal of lifesaving aid is having a devastating impact in all countries, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America." "We urge an urgent review and restoration of services, services that save lives," she said.
Like many other international organizations, UNAIDS is affected by the US decisions. But for now, the agency has not made any layoffs, she said. "We continue to examine scenarios for the future," Ms. Byanyima assured. But the future is not yet optimistic, as no other country has yet announced that it wants to fill the American void, she noted.
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