Mon Mar 24 17:23:43 UTC 2025: ## Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Risks Millions of AIDS Deaths, UN Warns
**Geneva** – A UN agency has issued a stark warning that President Trump’s freeze on US foreign aid could lead to a catastrophic surge in HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths globally. UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima stated that without the restoration or replacement of US funding, the world could see 2,000 new HIV infections daily and a tenfold increase in AIDS deaths, potentially reaching millions within the next four years.
Byanyima cited the disruption caused by the halt in funding, including clinic closures and the layoff of thousands of healthcare workers. She explained that UNAIDS modeling projects an additional 6.3 million AIDS deaths over the next four years if funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is not resumed by April or replaced by another source. This would represent a devastating reversal of progress made in combating the disease, potentially returning mortality rates to levels seen in the 1990s and 2000s.
While the Trump administration claims the funding freeze—affecting nearly all US foreign aid—is part of its “America First” policy and insists waivers are in place for life-saving services, UNAIDS received $50 million (35% of its budget) in core funding from the US last year. The agency’s concerns are based on the fact that the current rate of AIDS-related deaths stands at 600,000 annually. The administration claims significant cost savings through its actions, although concrete evidence remains lacking. The warning from UNAIDS highlights the potentially devastating human cost of the foreign aid freeze.
First Piper 