The US government has halted its support for HIV treatment in Nigeria and other developing countries, following an order by President Donald Trump. This decision has raised fears that Africa’s most populous country may witness an increase in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.
According to the World Health Organisation, new HIV infections have risen by eight percent and AIDS-related deaths by 10 percent since 2019, highlighting critical gaps in prevention, testing, treatment, and care services. The US State Department’s decision to stop the disbursement of funds from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for at least 90 days has experts warning of a stall in progress made in combating HIV and ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Nigeria, one of the countries that benefit from PEPFAR, has about two million citizens currently living with HIV, with many relying on the program for treatment and care. The US program has provided testing and medicines to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS for over 20.6 million people worldwide, with an annual budget of $6.5 billion.
The halt in funds may cost Nigeria about $1 billion in health and other humanitarian interventions every year if the order surpasses the 90 days. Experts, including Dr. Dan Onwujekwe, a Tuberculosis and TB/HIV Specialist, have called on the government to urgently allocate funds for the programs, warning that the lack of funds could lead to a surge in new infections and reverse progress made so far to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
As the situation unfolds, concerns are growing about the impact of the US government’s decision on Nigeria’s HIV treatment programs and the lives of millions of people affected by the epidemic.
