By Abigail Philip David
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Nigeria and seven other countries may soon face a severe shortage of HIV treatments following the U.S. government’s decision to suspend foreign aid.
According to a report by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, the aid cut has significantly disrupted the supply of life-saving HIV medications in Nigeria, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ukraine. The affected countries could run out of essential HIV treatments in the coming months.
“The disruptions to HIV programmes could undo 20 years of progress,” Ghebreyesus stated at a press conference on Monday.
He further warned that the crisis could result in over 10 million new HIV cases and three million related deaths if urgent action is not taken.
The U.S. foreign aid pause, implemented under President Donald Trump’s administration, has also impacted global efforts to combat polio, malaria, and tuberculosis.
In addition, WHO revealed that its Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network—comprising over 700 sites worldwide—is at risk of shutting down. This comes as the United States faces a resurgence of measles.
Ghebreyesus emphasized that the U.S. has a responsibility to ensure an orderly transition if it withdraws funding, allowing affected countries to secure alternative financial support.
Meanwhile, WHO also warned that funding shortages could force the closure of 80% of its essential healthcare services in Afghanistan. As of March 4, 167 health facilities had already shut down, and without urgent intervention, over 220 more could close by June.
The U.S. decision to exit WHO has also led to financial strain on the UN agency, which typically receives about 20% of its annual funding from the U.S. In response, WHO announced plans to reduce its emergency operations budget target from $1.2 billion to $872 million for the 2026-2027 period.
