The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm over the immediate halt in funding for HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries, warning that the consequences could be devastating.
In a statement, WHO stressed that these programmes provide life-saving therapy to over 30 million people worldwide.
“Globally, 39.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2023,” WHO stated. “A funding halt for HIV programmes can put people living with the virus at increased risk of illness and death. It can also undermine efforts to prevent transmission in communities and countries.”
The organization cautioned that a prolonged funding freeze could reverse decades of progress, increasing new infections and deaths. “Such measures, if prolonged, could lead to an increase in new infections and deaths, reversing decades of progress and potentially taking the world back to the 1980s and 1990s when millions died of HIV every year globally,” it warned.
According to WHO, the funding supports crucial HIV initiatives, including innovative diagnostics, affordable medicines, and community-based care models. The organization called on the U.S. Government to introduce additional exemptions to prevent disruption in the supply of life-saving HIV treatment.
It highlighted the impact on the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a flagship initiative in the global fight against HIV, which has saved more than 26 million lives over the past two decades.
“The current funding pause for PEPFAR will have a direct impact on millions of lives that depend on the predictable supply of safe and effective antiretroviral treatment,” WHO stated. “PEPFAR works in over 50 countries around the world. Currently, it is providing HIV treatment to more than 20 million people, including 566,000 children under 15 years of age.”
The global health body also noted that PEPFAR and its partners, including WHO, have been working on sustainability plans to transition to greater country ownership of HIV programmes beyond 2030.
“A sudden and prolonged stop to programmes can put the lives of millions at risk,” WHO warned. “WHO is committed to supporting PEPFAR, other partners, and national governments in managing change processes effectively to minimize the impact on people living with HIV.”
As global stakeholders navigate the funding crisis, WHO’s urgent appeal underscores the critical need to safeguard decades of hard-won progress in the fight against HIV.
