The Donald Trump administration is ending funding for the United Nations HIV/AIDS program (UNAIDS). This was announced by Peter Morocco, who is in charge of closing USAID programs.
The announcement that the US is ending funding for UNAIDS is the latest move by the administration to end America’s involvement in vital health and anti-poverty programs around the world, The Guardian reports. In a letter to UNAIDS, Peter Morocco said the funding was being stopped “for the convenience of the U.S. government.” He said the action was taken “to align with agency priorities and national interests.”
Before the funding freeze, the U.S. government was responsible for two-thirds of all international funding for HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries. Much of it came through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was founded by George W. Bush in 2003 and which funded about 70% of the global AIDS response.
In the past few days, funding for nearly 90% of the programs run through the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID has been cut off. The UN’s HIV/AIDS program also made the list. The U.S. accounted for about 40% of UNAIDS funding each year. For 2023, the U.S. contribution to the program’s budget was more than $50 million.
With the end of U.S. participation in the organization’s funding, the world’s fight against HIV/AIDS is in jeopardy.
“UNAIDS has received reports from 55 countries that are experiencing disruptions in their HIV response due to the suspension of U.S. foreign aid,” Winnie Byanyima, the agency’s executive director, told X. – “Any cuts could severely disrupt vital prevention programs, creating the risk of new infections and reversing progress toward ending AIDS.”
VIRUSOFF is concerned about the fate of vital HIV/AIDS programs. Cutting off funding for prevention and disease treatment directly affects human development and the quality of life on the planet. This isolationist move is particularly shocking coming from a country that has been a driving force in changing the world for the better. Saving a relatively small amount of money in the context of the U.S. budget will have little or no impact on the U.S. economy, but it will lead to more epidemics and more than 6 million avoidable deaths worldwide over the next 4 years.