…Byanyima Calls for Urgent Reinstatement of Support
By Bunmi Yekini
The head of UNAIDS has warned that millions of lives are at risk if the United States does not reverse deep funding cuts to global HIV/AIDS programs, stressing that an additional 6.3 million people could die in the next four years.
“We will see a real surge in this disease—we will see it come back, and we will see people dying the way we saw them in the 90s and 2000s,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, speaking in Geneva.
Byanyima highlighted that without urgent action, new infections could skyrocket, with projections indicating an additional 8.7 million cases. “At the last count, there were 1.3 million new infections globally in 2023,” she noted.
The funding freeze, announced by the White House on January 20, is set to end next month after a 90-day review, but Byanyima expressed concern that no other governments had stepped forward to fill the gap.
“We have not heard of other governments pledging to fill the gap,” she told journalists, warning that the sudden withdrawal of US support has already forced the closure of drop-in centers and clinics, leaving thousands without access to lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment.
“This sudden withdrawal of US funding has led to the shutting down of many clinics and the laying off of thousands of health workers—these are nurses, doctors, lab technicians, pharmacy workers… it’s a lot.”
Africa Hit Hardest
Byanyima emphasized that Africa, which bears 53 percent of the global HIV burden, is being disproportionately affected by the funding cuts. She warned that closing drop-in centers, particularly for girls and young women, would be catastrophic.
“More than 60 percent of new infections on the continent are amongst girls and young women,” she said. “Closing these centers all of a sudden will be disastrous.”
Other UN agencies reliant on US funding have also raised alarm. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that thousands in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have been left without lifesaving aid. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF warned that the funding shortfall threatens vital humanitarian work, including efforts to reduce child mortality, which has fallen by 60 percent since 1990.
A Direct Appeal to the White House
Byanyima acknowledged that it was reasonable for the US to reduce its funding over time, but criticized the abrupt withdrawal of support, which she said was already devastating communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
“We urge for a reconsideration and an urgent restoration of services—of life-saving services,” she pleaded.
She also made a direct appeal to US President Donald Trump, urging him to follow the example of former President George W. Bush, who launched the landmark President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003.
“President Bush led the way with PEPFAR, saving millions of lives. President Trump has the opportunity to be part of the prevention revolution, with new injectable HIV treatments that require just two doses a year,” Byanyima said.
She pointed out that an American pharmaceutical company is already positioned to manufacture and license generics, making the groundbreaking treatment accessible to millions who need it.
According to UNAIDS data from 2023, approximately 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV. Of this number, 1.3 million were newly infected last year, and 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.