UN agency says Trump's aid freeze could cause millions more AIDS deaths

President Donald Trump's decision to suspend US foreign aid funding could lead to millions of additional deaths from AIDS, according to the head of the UN's AIDS program, UNAIDS.

The United States, being the largest global provider of official development assistance, channels most of its funds through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

In January, Trump ordered a three-month freeze on much of this foreign assistance, leaving humanitarian organisations scrambling to address the impact.

UNAIDS executive director, Winnie Byanyima, emphasised the severity of the situation, stating that the suspension of US aid could have devastating consequences.

She stressed that US funding plays a critical role in global AIDS relief efforts and that the loss of this support could result in significant loss of life. Specifically, Byanyima warned that the halt of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could cause a tenfold increase in AIDS-related deaths, potentially reaching 6.3 million over the next five years. She also cautioned that new HIV infections could rise to 8.7 million in the same period.

While the US administration clarified that life-saving treatments would remain exempt from the freeze, local healthcare workers in Africa reported that some treatment centres have already shut down due to the funding gap.

During the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Byanyima urged African leaders to reduce their dependence on foreign aid by boosting domestic revenue.

However, many African nations face substantial debt burdens that hinder their ability to fund health initiatives. Byanyima called for urgent debt restructuring to address this issue and ensure that countries can continue to invest in critical sectors like health and education.