Humanitarian workers in Africa are concerned that experimental HIV treatment programs could be halted due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend foreign aid.
The Republican president recently directed the suspension of international assistance. The president’s contentious advisor, Elon Musk, who leads the government’s efficiency division, proudly claimed that they would bring about significant changes within the prominent US humanitarian organization, USAID.
This entails a 90-day pause in the operations of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which serves over 20 million patients and has a staff of 270,000 healthcare workers, as reported by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).
PEPFAR currently offers antiretroviral treatment to approximately 680,000 HIV-positive pregnant women to ensure their well-being and avoid passing on the virus to their children, according to the foundation.
A 90-day closure could result in approximately 135,987 infants contracting HIV, warns.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was named acting director of USAID, stated that “life-saving treatments” will not be halted.
The workers in Africa are expressing dissatisfaction because the facilities have shut down.
Aghan Daniel, who leads a team of science journalists supported by USAID in Kenya, expresses dissatisfaction over the sudden end of projects, affecting patients receiving experimental treatments.
He mentions the case of the MOSAIC project, supported by PEPFAR, that evaluates novel drugs and vaccines for HIV prevention.
Daniel told AFP that individuals who were potential participants in the research will experience negative health outcomes due to the abrupt termination of the study.
His team of six scientific journalists gathering health information also got laid off.
He criticizes that a significant number of individuals may perish due to a lack of information. He suggests that a key approach to decreasing HIV rates in Africa is through education, which involves raising awareness about sexual health and various treatments like lenacapavir, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, and other medications.
Life or death –
Established in 1961, USAID operates with a yearly budget exceeding $40 billion, allocated towards advancing development, health, and humanitarian initiatives globally, with a particular focus on impoverished nations.
HIV programs are not the sole ones impacted.
An employee working for a program funded by USAID in Kenya described Trump’s decision as shocking and causing widespread fear among people.
“We will see an increase in the number of individuals dying from illnesses such as tuberculosis and cholera,” according to this source.
Your company is unable to cover rent or salaries, resulting in your employees being placed on unpaid leave.
In an office of USAID in Adis Abeba, Ethiopia, AFP witnessed employees clearing their desks.
An NGO employee focusing on food security in conflict areas mentioned that despite Rubio’s exemption, there is a lot of uncertainty.
“What defines a life-saving occupation – do vaccines save lives or nutrition initiatives for severely malnourished individuals?” inquires an anonymous humanitarian worker.
The suspension of certain programs, even briefly, can be critical for the individuals we serve, potentially determining life or death.
Kenyan journalist Daniel, like many others, thinks that the outcome could have been lessened with advance notice.
“We already have numerous crises globally, so there is no necessity to introduce another one.”