The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that eight countries, six of them in Africa—including Nigeria, Kenya, and Lesotho—are at risk of running out of life-saving HIV medications. This is due to a freeze on U.S. foreign aid, which has disrupted critical health programs, including the supply of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs.
U.S. President Donald Trump halted foreign aid on his first day in office as part of a review into government spending. The suspension has affected the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a major initiative that has provided treatment to millions of people living with HIV in low-income countries since its launch in 2003.
The WHO chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed concern that this disruption could undo 20 years of progress in fighting HIV, potentially leading to an additional 10 million HIV cases and three million deaths. Countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Mali, along with Haiti and Ukraine, are expected to run out of ARV medicines in the coming months.
Dr. Tedros appealed to the U.S. to reconsider its stance, noting the global implications of the aid freeze, not only for the affected countries but also for global health security. The crisis highlights the vulnerability of healthcare programs in resource-limited settings and the need for a coordinated and humane approach to withdrawing foreign aid.
