Eight countries face imminent shortage of HIV treatments due to US aid cuts

As of March 17, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported significant disruptions in the supply of HIV treatments across eight countries, notably affecting Ukraine, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria. Following a freeze on US foreign aid initiated by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office in January, these nations may exhaust their supply of life-saving medicines in the coming months. This disruption to HIV programs could potentially undo 20 years of progress, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who emphasized the potential for over 10 million new HIV cases and three million HIV-related deaths as a consequence of reduced access to treatment. The aid freeze was part of a broader review of government spending and has already had severe ramifications for global health initiatives regarding HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio. Programs operated by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other health organizations have been significantly impacted, resulting in immediate stops to services for treatment, testing, and prevention in over 50 countries. Additionally, the WHO has warned that funding shortages could lead to the closing of 80 percent of essential health care services in Afghanistan, revealing the systemic vulnerabilities of relying on US funding for crucial health services. Tedros outlined the dire ramifications of the disrupted aid, suggesting that the US has a responsibility to withdraw aid in a manner that allows affected countries to seek alternative funding sources. The WHO chief called on the US to reconsider its approach to global health, asserting that support not only preserves lives globally but also enhances safety in the US by preventing the international spread of diseases. The significant toll on people living with HIV is especially pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 25 million individuals are currently affected, with Nigeria and Kenya showing particularly high prevalence rates. In Nigeria, almost two million individuals are living with HIV, and in Kenya, the number is around 1.4 million. The freezing of funding, especially impacting the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has placed these vulnerable populations at an increased risk of not receiving the necessary treatment. With the clock ticking, the urgency for the US government to address these funding shortages or consider alternative pathways for support is critical to avert a health crisis that could lead to tragic loss of life across these regions.