The UN's warning cry: "We will see people die of AIDS like in the 1990s and 2000s."

BarcelonaIn just two months in office, the Donald Trump administration has jeopardized the progress made in eradicating AIDS over the past 25 years and has put global health organizations on alert. This Monday, the United Nations quantified the impact of the virus. cuts to the US cooperation fund USAID in the prevention and treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and have concluded that this can lead to up to 2,000 infections per day.

This was explained to journalists by UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima from Geneva, highlighting that the lack of funding will also lead to 6.3 million deaths from AIDS in the next four years. "We also expect an additional 8.7 million new infections. At last count, there were 1.3 million new infections worldwide (in 2023)," she added. The estimates represent a sharp setback in the fight to eradicate AIDS, which affects 40 million people worldwide. "We will see people die as we saw them in the 1990s and 2000s," she warned. This will happen "if US aid is not restored and replaced with other funding," said Byanyima, who noted that no other government has expressed a commitment to fill the gap.

The cuts to US international cooperation funds will have the greatest impact on Africa, where one in 30 adults already has AIDS. The UN describes the potential effects of the sudden closure of its US-funded program as "catastrophic" and warns that more than 60% of those affected on the continent would be young girls.

In fact, the organization's data shows that 27 countries in Africa and Asia are already feeling the effects of the funding cuts through staff shortages, treatment cuts, and the "collapse of prevention systems." Byanyima cited the example of Tanzania, where 94% of the AIDS program relies on outside funding. Nearly 5% of the country's population has the virus, and in some specific areas it even affects 15%.

The decline in treatment for the disease is also accompanied by a "rollback of rights," the UN spokesperson stated. In many countries around the world, AIDS is accompanied by a stigma that most closely affects key segments of the population, such as the LGBT community, young women, and sex workers, who have already suffered discrimination or who avoid going to treatment centers for fear of suffering. "We must help them overcome criminalization," Byanyima urged.

Furthermore, the UN warns that one-third of HIV infections are linked to tuberculosis infections, Another disease that is also suffering the effects of Washington's disinvestment in international cooperation.

A threat to global health

Since Donald Trump took office, the Republican administration has made repeated decisions that affect global health. The most obvious was the withdrawal from the World Health Organization and its funding mechanisms, which he announced on his first day in office and justified by criticizing the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly after, Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health, a figure famous for his stance against the measles vaccine and for his defense of unpasteurized milk.

But the announcement of the decision to abolish USAID caused a stir everywhere—especially in the Global South—as it put the entire international cooperation system at risk. The United States is the world's leading provider of humanitarian aid, although funds allocated to cooperation—which includes USAID—only represent between 0.7% and 1.4% of its federal budget. Three out of every five dollars in foreign aid are managed through USAID, which funds projects aimed at combating epidemics, educating children, providing clean water, and supporting other areas of development.

According to data from 2023, USAID managed more than $43 billion. The countries that benefited the most that year were Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Jordan, but funds were also allocated to countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Syria.