Ukraine and seven other countries could soon run out of HIV drugs due to cuts in foreign aid under the Trump administration, according to data released by the United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO).
According to Reuters, countries including Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Ukraine could run out of their HIV drug supplies within a few months.
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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the collapse of HIV programs could erase two decades of progress.
“Disruptions to HIV programs could undo 20 years of progress, leading to more than 10 million additional cases of HIV and 3 million HIV-related deaths – more than triple the number of deaths last year,” he said.
The suspension of US foreign aid, which began under Trump’s administration in January, has also affected efforts to combat other diseases including polio, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Ghebreyesus emphasized that the US has a responsibility to ensure that “if it withdraws direct funding for countries, it is done in an orderly and humane way that allows them to find alternative sources of funding.”
In early March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an 83% cut to all USAID programs following a six-week review.
Rubio shared the news on X, stating that the cut would affect 5,200 contracts, leaving approximately 1,000 other projects that will now be directly managed by the State Department.
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While he did not specify which projects would be slashed, Rubio explained, “The 5,200 contracts that are now canceled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve - and in some cases, even harmed - the core national interests of the United States.”
He further added, “In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs, approximately 1,000, to be administered more effectively under the State Department.”
Rubio also expressed gratitude to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, and State Department staff for their long hours in what he called an “overdue and historic reform.”
Previously, the Kyiv Post reported on the suspension of USAID programs affecting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. By the end of February, USAID had halted all projects related to Ukraine’s energy restoration. The State Department also plans to close a dozen consulates in Europe and cut 20% of its staff.
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