The World Health Organisation warned that six African countries are among eight nations facing a possible HIV/AIDS drugs shortage as a direct result of a global aids freeze by the United States.
A WHO statement seen by APA on Wednesday name-checked the African countries as Burkina Faso, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria and South Sudan. The other nations are Haiti and Ukraine.
According to a 2023 WHO data, at the end of 2023, 77% [61–89%] of people living with the disease had access to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, which was up from 24% [19–28%] in 2010.
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Monday that the expected drugs shortage could trigger over 10 million more HIV cases and over three million deaths related to the disease worldwide.
He warned that disruptions to HIV programmes ”could undo 20 years of progress” and fuel a global health crisis over the disease.
US President Donald Trump’s decision in January to freeze aid to developing countries as part of reviewing government spending has left huge funding gaps in the global health sector.
MG/as/APA