U.S. Aid Cuts to Global HIV Response Create Dire Consequences, Experts Warn
International AIDS Society President Beatriz Grinsztejn has urged continued vigilance following reports that the U.S.President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) may have been spared some of the most severe funding cuts. However, experts and affected countries emphasize that the overall withdrawal of billions of dollars in U.S. aid for the global HIV response will create an insurmountable funding gap.
A recent UNAIDS report detailed the devastating impact of these abrupt cuts,stating they have “destabilized supply chains,led to the closure of health facilities,left thousands of health clinics without staff,set back prevention programs,disrupted HIV testing efforts and forced many community organizations to reduce or halt their HIV activities.”
south Africa, which has the highest number of people living with HIV globally, has reported the closure of 12 U.S.-funded specialized HIV clinics and the unemployment of over 8,000 health workers in its national HIV program. Health officials in South Africa and other nations are now working to locate individuals who have lost access to HIV medication. The interruption of these life-saving drugs allows the virus to multiply, perhaps leading to detectable viral loads within weeks and increasing the risk of transmission to sexual partners. Furthermore, the virus could develop drug resistance.
Mbonisiwe Hlongwane, manager of the HIV program at Bertha Gxowa public hospital in Germiston, South Africa, described the situation as “hectic” and highlighted the ongoing uncertainty faced by healthcare providers.
