HIV Drug Shortages Loom in Nigeria, Kenya, and Other Nations, WHO Warns
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that eight countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Lesotho, could soon run out of life-saving HIV drugs. This crisis is linked to the U.S. government’s decision to pause foreign aid earlier this year.
According to the BBC, U.S. President Donald Trump froze foreign aid in January as part of a review of government spending. This move has disrupted health programs worldwide, including shipments of HIV medications. The freeze has affected the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), a program that has saved over 26 million lives since 2003.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the aid pause could undo 20 years of progress in fighting HIV. He warned that it might lead to 10 million new HIV cases and 3 million additional deaths, which is more than triple the number of deaths last year.
The countries most at risk include Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Haiti, and Ukraine. In Nigeria, nearly 2 million people live with HIV, while Kenya has about 1.4 million people affected. Many rely on aid-funded medicines to survive.
Dr. Tedros urged the U.S. to reconsider its decision, emphasizing that global health funding not only saves lives but also protects the U.S. by preventing disease outbreaks from spreading internationally.
Credit to the BBC for their detailed reporting on this critical issue. The situation highlights the importance of international aid in fighting diseases like HIV and the devastating impact when such support is withdrawn.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c871q33yvjpo