US Aid Cuts Threaten Global Fight Against AIDS: Millions at Risk!

The world might face a big problem with AIDS once again because the United States has suddenly stopped giving money to help fight it, according to a top official from the UN. Many people could die if this doesn’t change. The US has usually been the biggest money provider for global aid, but President Donald Trump has cut international help since he came back to power two months ago.

Winnie Byanyima, the leader of UNAIDS (the organization that helps fight AIDS), warned that if US funding isn’t restored soon or if other countries don’t step in, it could lead to an extra 6.3 million deaths from AIDS in the next four years. That’s ten times more than we’ve seen before! She said this would mean losing all the progress made over the last 25 years, which is very serious. Byanyima told reporters in Geneva that while it is okay for the US to want to spend less money over time, stopping help suddenly is causing major problems.

As a result of the US cuts, 27 countries in Africa and Asia are facing a lack of doctors, and health systems are breaking down. Byanyima said if funding doesn’t return soon, AIDS could rise again worldwide, especially in Eastern Europe and Latin America, leading to many more deaths similar to the hard times in the ’90s and 2000s.

She praised US efforts against AIDS as one of the greatest acts of kindness in global health. One of the key programs, called PEPFAR, has saved about 26 million lives over the past 20 years. Thanks to new US innovations, there’s a new drug called lenacapavir that could change everything by being 100% effective in trials. There are plans to provide this drug as a single shot once a year, which could help lower costs for poorer countries. Byanyima described it as similar to a flu vaccine.

She believes that if this drug is used widely, we could greatly reduce new AIDS infections and maybe even end AIDS completely. Byanyima directly asked Trump to help bring back funding for PEPFAR, saying it would be a great deal: it would help the US company Gilead make money, create jobs, and save lives. She suggested that once PEPFAR is back, UNAIDS could work with the US and others to help low-income countries stand on their own in the fight against HIV.