By Milcah Tanimu
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over the immediate funding halt for HIV programs in low- and middle-income countries, warning of severe consequences.
In a statement, WHO highlighted that over 30 million people worldwide rely on HIV program funding for access to life-saving therapy. A prolonged funding pause, it stated, could:
- Increase illness and death among people living with HIV.
- Reverse decades of progress, bringing back the crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.
- Undermine prevention efforts, leading to new infections globally.
The funding supports affordable HIV treatment, diagnostics, and community-based care models. WHO specifically called on the U.S. Government to ensure continued exemptions for delivering lifesaving HIV treatment under the PEPFAR initiative, which has saved over 26 million lives in the past two decades.
With 20 million people, including 566,000 children, currently receiving PEPFAR-funded treatment, WHO stressed that a sudden funding stop could put millions at risk. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to supporting global HIV programs to prevent major setbacks in the fight against the virus.
