The United Nations AIDS agency, UNAIDS, has said more than six million people could die from HIV and AIDS in the next four years if US President Donald Trump’s administration pulls its global funding for programmes.
The Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, Christine Stegling, while addressing reporters in Geneva said although a waiver was placed on HIV/AIDS programmes in last month’s US foreign aid funding freeze, many concerns remained about the future of treatment programmes.
Recall Trump put hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of foreign aid donations on hold for 90 days upon taking office on January 20.
However, in the following days, the US State Department issued a waiver on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, the world’s leading HIV initiative, for life-saving humanitarian assistance.
