The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the recent decision by the United States to halt foreign aid has disrupted HIV treatment supplies in several countries, including Nigeria, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ukraine.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, addressed the issue during a press conference on Monday, stating that the suspension of foreign aid could endanger millions of lives. He emphasized that this disruption could undo over 20 years of progress made in HIV treatment and prevention.
“The disruptions to HIV programs could result in over 10 million new HIV cases and three million deaths related to HIV,” Ghebreyesus warned. He also pointed out that efforts to combat diseases like HIV, polio, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) have been severely affected by the U.S. foreign aid halt, which was initiated by President Donald Trump soon after he took office in January.
Following Trump’s decision, the Nigerian government announced plans to bolster its domestic HIV response. On February 3, the Federal Executive Council approved $1.07 billion to fund healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) program. The council also allocated N4.8 billion for HIV treatment.
In response to the funding gap, the Nigerian Senate recently allocated an additional N300 billion (about $200 million) to the health sector in the 2025 budget, targeting health programs like TB, HIV, malaria, and polio.
Meanwhile, Ghebreyesus also highlighted the negative impact on TB programs, with 27 countries across Africa and Asia facing significant disruptions, including shortages of healthcare workers, diagnostic tools, and collapsing data systems. Nine countries have already reported problems with TB drug procurement and supply chains, putting lives at risk.
“Over the past two decades, U.S. support for TB services has saved nearly 80 million lives, but this progress is now at risk,” Ghebreyesus said. He further mentioned that the U.S. withdrawal of funding could also lead to the shutdown of the WHO’s Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network, which operates in over 700 sites worldwide.
Ghebreyesus stressed that the U.S. has a responsibility to ensure that its withdrawal of direct funding is done in an orderly and humane manner, allowing affected countries to find alternative sources of funding.
