“6.3 Million AIDS Deaths Will Occur” – UNAIDS Warns as U.S. Funding Hangs in Balance

The United Nations AIDS agency, UNAIDS, has issued a stark warning that over six million people could die from HIV/AIDS in the next four years if the U.S. government withdraws funding for global treatment programs. The concern follows a foreign aid freeze imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, raising fears about disruptions to life-saving services.

Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, told reporters in Geneva that although the U.S. State Department issued a waiver for HIV/AIDS programs under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), uncertainty remains about its implementation. She described widespread confusion at the community level and significant disruptions to treatment services.

Trump’s decision to put hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid on hold for 90 days upon taking office on January 20 sparked international concern. The waiver, issued in the following days, was intended to allow humanitarian HIV/AIDS assistance to continue, but Stegling emphasized that the situation remains chaotic.

She warned that a failure to reauthorize PEPFAR funding beyond 2025 could lead to a 400% increase in AIDS-related deaths, amounting to 6.3 million lives lost. Stegling stressed that even minor funding cuts or delays could have devastating consequences. She pointed to Ethiopia, where 5,000 public health worker contracts funded by U.S. aid have already been terminated, highlighting the broader impact of the funding freeze.

Community clinics, which rely entirely on U.S. government support, face the greatest risk, raising concerns that treatment interruptions could lead to a rise in new HIV infections. Stegling urged UN member states to step in to prevent further disruption, warning that any pause in funding could cost lives.