The Trump administration has decided to cut US foreign aid through USAID, which has seriously affected the supply of drugs to treat HIV in eight countries, including Ukraine. In the near future, they may be left without vital drugs, informs Reuters.
WHO representatives noted that Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and Ukraine are at risk of running out of antiretroviral drugs in the coming months.
“Disruption of HIV programs could undo gains made over the past 20 years,” – said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He added that this could lead to more than 10 million new cases of HIV infection and three million deaths related to the disease. According to him, the suspension of American foreign aid, which was initiated by Donald Trump shortly after taking office in January, had a negative impact on programs to fight HIV, polio, malaria and tuberculosis.
In addition, US plans to withdraw from the WHO have forced the organization, which normally receives about a fifth of its annual budget from the United States, to freeze hiring and begin cutting costs.
