President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze U.S. foreign aid could lead to millions of additional AIDS-related deaths, according to the head of the UN’s AIDS program. The U.S. is the largest global donor of official development assistance, with most funds allocated through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Upon his return to office in January, Trump ordered a three-month freeze on U.S. foreign aid, leaving international humanitarian efforts scrambling to manage the consequences.
“It’s critical in many countries,” warned UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima in an interview with AFP. “I must raise the alarm—this is a crucial part of AIDS relief funding. If it disappears, people will die.”
The freeze also included a 90-day suspension of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), although the administration later allowed exceptions for certain medications under the program.
Potential for ‘Tenfold’ Increase in Deaths
PEPFAR supports over 20 million people living with HIV and 270,000 health workers, according to the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). Byanyima said the freeze could lead to a “tenfold” increase in deaths, potentially rising to 6.3 million over five years. She also warned that new infections could increase by up to 8.7 million in the same period.
While the U.S. has promised that “life-saving treatments” will be protected from the freeze, health workers on the ground in Africa report that clinics are already shutting down.
At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Byanyima discussed the issue with leaders, urging a shift from reliance on foreign funding to using domestic revenue. However, she noted that many African nations are burdened with enormous debts, sometimes exceeding 50% of their total revenue, which limits their ability to fill the potential gap in funding.
“Part of the solution is to push for urgent and comprehensive debt restructuring,” she said. “For many countries, debt is preventing them from investing in health and education.”
USAID, founded in 1961, has an annual budget of over $40 billion, funding development, health, and humanitarian programs worldwide, particularly in low-income countries.
