Eight countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Lesotho, are facing a potential shortage of HIV drugs, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported.

    The warning comes after the United States decided to pause foreign aid, a move that could severely disrupt HIV treatment programs in these nations. The decision was made in January following a review of U.S. government spending by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

According to WHO, the impact of this freeze on foreign aid could undo over two decades of progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that the disruptions to HIV programs could lead to significant setbacks in the global battle against the disease.

The consequences of this interruption could be catastrophic. WHO warned that it could result in more than 10 million additional cases of HIV, along with three million additional deaths related to the virus. This would be a dramatic increase, more than triple the number of deaths recorded in the previous year, highlighting the severe impact the freeze could have on global health.

The countries most at risk from this aid disruption are those in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of the global HIV cases are concentrated. For these nations, the ongoing supply of HIV drugs is critical to managing the disease and preventing further spread. The pause in aid threatens to reverse the progress made in these countries, endangering the lives of millions of people living with HIV.

The WHO’s alert underscores the urgent need for continued support in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the global community’s responsibility to ensure that vital resources, such as antiretroviral medications, remain accessible to those in need.