Korede Abdullah in Lagos
Executive Director of the United Nations AIDS agency (UNAIDS), Winnie Byanyima has sounded the alarm on the future of global HIV prevention efforts.
Byanyima warned on Tuesday that if the United States withdraws its support for the world’s largest AIDS program, the number of new HIV infections could skyrocket by more than six times by 2029.
This is particularly concerning, given that HIV infections had been declining in recent years, with 2023 seeing 1.3 million new cases.
Byanyima emphasized the critical role U.S. funding plays in fighting the global AIDS epidemic, stating, “People are going to die because life-saving tools have been taken away from them.
” She also expressed concern that no European country has committed to stepping in to fill the funding gap, although she acknowledged that they are “listening and trying to see where they can come in because they care about rights, about humanity.”
The United States had previously announced a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance, including funding for AIDS programs.
The potential consequences of this funding gap are staggering, with Byanyima warning that the number of people newly infected with HIV could reach 8.7 million by 2029.
UNAIDS and global health organizations are urging continued commitment to funding HIV prevention and treatment programs to avoid a devastating setback in the fight against the virus.
