The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stark warning regarding the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to pause US foreign aid. This pause has “substantially disrupted” the supply of life-saving HIV treatment in eight countries, placing millions at risk.
According to the WHO, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Ukraine are facing imminent shortages of HIV medications. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the disruptions to HIV programmes could undo 20 years of progress. He cautioned that these disruptions could lead to more than 10 million additional HIV cases and 3 million HIV-related deaths.
Broader impact on global health initiatives
The US foreign aid pause, implemented shortly after President Donald Trump took office in January, has affected a range of global health initiatives beyond HIV treatment. Efforts to combat polio, malaria, and tuberculosis have also been hindered.
The WHO-coordinated Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network, comprising over 700 sites worldwide, is also at risk of imminent shutdown. This comes at a critical time, as measles is experiencing a resurgence in the United States.
Call for a responsible withdrawal
Ghebreyesus emphasised the US’s “responsibility to ensure that if it withdraws direct funding for countries, it’s done in an orderly and humane way that allows them to find alternative funding sources.
In a separate statement, the WHO highlighted the severe impact on Afghanistan’s healthcare system. Funding shortages could force the closure of 80% of WHO-supported essential healthcare services in the country. As of March 4, 167 health facilities had already shut down, and more than 220 additional facilities were at risk of closure by June without urgent intervention.
WHO budget cuts and US withdrawal
The US’s plans to withdraw from the WHO have forced the UN agency to freeze hiring and implement budget cuts. The US typically provides approximately one-fifth of the WHO’s annual funding. In the 2026/27 budget period, the WHO announced plans to reduce its funding target to reduce its funding target for emergency operations to $872 million from $1.2 billion, reflecting the significant financial challenges it faces.