Brace Yourselves: Millions More Could Die from AIDS Due to US Funding Cuts
US Aid Reduction Warned as Potential Cause for Millions of Additional Deaths According to UN-Aids Programme Head - UN AIDS Programme Director Issues Grim Forecast of Increased Deaths Due to Reduction in US Aid Funding
Here's the hot tea: if the US doesn't restore funding to AIDS programs, we're looking at an extra 6.3 million AIDS-related deaths in the next four years. That's ten times the number of deaths reported globally in 2023.
And it ain't just about the death toll. UNAIDS estimates an additional 8.7 million new infections in the same timeframe. If this goes down, it's not just a setback for low-income African countries, but for the whole darn world - especially those high-risk groups in Eastern Europe and Latin America.
So, yeah, Michelle-freakin'-Byanyima, head honcho of UNAIDS, is freaking out, saying that the US's sudden decision to pull funds is leading to a catastrophic situation. She's imploring Donald Trump to come to his senses, to work out a deal so we can maintain the progress we've made on AIDS. So far, the US has been funding UNAIDS by 50%.
If we don't find new sources of funding, we're looking at death tolls that'll take us back to the peak of the AIDS pandemic in the 80s and 90s. We'd lose 25 years of fighting that damn virus. Byanyima ain't mincing words when she says, "The situation is very serious."
Now, here's what's been going on: Trump's been on a rampage dismantling the US development agency USAID. The US plans to slash 83% of USAID programs that don't align with their selfish national interests. Before this, USAID maintained health and disaster relief programs in around 120 countries.
- AIDS
- UNAIDS
- Cuts
- USA
- Geneva
- Death toll
- Donald Trump
As for the details, if you're into that kind of thing:
- Without restored funding, we could see a staggering 6.3 million additional AIDS-related deaths in the next four years.
- These cuts may result in a global resurgence of the AIDS pandemic, particularly among women and children, and even high-risk groups in Eastern Europe and Latin America.
- Over the past 25 years, substantial progress was made in reducing HIV/AIDS transmission and death rates, largely due to international funding, especially from the US. Without this, we risk undoing this progress, leading to increased mortality rates similar to those seen in the 1990s and early 2000s.
- The head of the UN AIDS program, Michelle-freakin-Byanyima, has warned that the US's cuts to AIDS programs could result in an estimated 6.3 million additional AIDS-related deaths in the next four years.
- In Geneva, UNAIDS is urging the United States, and specifically President Donald Trump, to reconsider the recent funding cuts, as these could lead to a global resurgence of the AIDS pandemic.
- The cuts to USAID programs are expected to reverse the progress made over the past 25 years in reducing HIV/AIDS transmission and death rates, potentially resulting in a death toll similar to those seen in the 1990s and early 2000s.
