UNAIDS chief warns of ‘real surge’ in deaths without US funding
Amid continuing uncertainty about the impact of deep US funding cuts to humanitarian work worldwide, the head of the UN agency coordinating the fight against HIV-AIDS warned that an addition 6.3 million people will die in the next four years, unless the support is reinstated.
“We will see a …real surge in this disease - [we] will see it come back and we see people dying the way we saw them in the 90s and in 2000s,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, pointing to a “tenfold increase” from the 600,000 AIDS-related deaths recorded globally in 2023.
“We also expect an additional 8.7 million new infections. At the last count, there were 1.3 million new infections globally (in) 2023”.
Speaking in Geneva, Ms. Byanyima noted that the funding freeze announced by the White House on 20 January was due to end next month, after a 90-day review.
“We have not heard of other governments pledging to fill the gap,” she told journalists.
Already, drop-in centres where HIV patients can pick up the anti-retroviral medicines they need are not reopening, “for fear that this might not be consistent with the new guidelines”, she maintained.
“This sudden withdrawal of US funding has led (to) shutting down of many clinics, laying off of thousands of health workers, these are nurses, doctors, lab technicians, pharmacy workers…it's a lot.”
Focusing on Africa – where the east and south of the continent share 53 per cent of the global HIV burden - Ms. Byanyima warned that closing down “all of a sudden drop-in centres for girls and young women will be disastrous, because more than 60 per cent of new infections - amongst young - new infections on the continent are amongst girls and young women”.
Several other UN agencies that are heavily reliant on US funding have also warned that the cut in support – in addition to chronic under-investment in humanitarian work globally - is already having a serious impact on the communities they serve.
On Friday, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that thousands have been left without lifesaving aid in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) also announced that funding cuts have severe repercussions for vulnerable migrant communities, exacerbating humanitarian crises and undermining essential support systems for displaced populations. Together with IOM, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that that the liquidity crunch has jeopardized lifesaving work, including progress in reducing child mortality, which has fallen by 60 per cent since 1990.
“It is reasonable for the United States to want to reduce its funding - over time. But the sudden withdrawal of lifesaving support is having a devastating impact across countries, particularly Africa, but even in Asia and Latin America,” said UNAIDS’ Ms. Byanyima.
“We urge for a reconsideration and an urgent restoration of services – of life-saving services.”
And in a direct appeal to President Trump, the UNAIDS chief noted that just as President George W Bush had introduced the groundbreaking Pepfar initiative to combat HIV/AIDS in 2003, the new White House incumbent could also be part of the “prevention revolution” involving injectable HIV injections required just twice a year.
“The deal is that an American company is enabled to produce and to license generics across the regions to produce millions and roll out this injectable to those who really need it,” she insisted.
According to UNAIDS, approximately 40 million people globally live with HIV, based on 2023 data. Of this number, some 1.3 million became newly infected with HIV in the same year and 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.
ends
STORY: UNAIDS funding crisis
TRT: 04’12”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 24 March 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Speakers:
SHOTLIST
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO , WMO , OCHA , UNHCR , OHCHR , UNDRR
Michele Zaccheo, Chief, UNTV, Radio and Webcast Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis - UN humanitarians
Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO
UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount
Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday, But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO , UNRWA , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Edited News
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OCHA
Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege
Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas and pleaded for the blockade to end.
1
1
2
Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO , OHCHR , UNCTAD
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Trade and Development, and the United Nations Refugee Agency.
1
2
1
Press Conferences | WHO
Launch of World Health Statistics 2025
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.