WHO Raises Alarm as Nigeria, Others Risk Running Out of HIV Treatments, Urges US to Restore Aid

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised an alarm that Nigeria, along with seven other countries, is at risk of running out of HIV treatments soon.

This impending shortage is attributed to the Trump administration’s decision to pause U.S. foreign aid, which has “substantially disrupted” the supply of HIV treatments in these countries.

According to WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the affected countries, which also include Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ukraine, could exhaust their supply of HIV treatments in the coming months.

Ghebreyesus warned that “the disruptions to HIV programs could undo 20 years of progress” and potentially lead to over 10 million additional HIV cases and three million HIV-related deaths.

The U.S. foreign aid pause has also impacted efforts to tackle other diseases, including polio, malaria, and tuberculosis. Furthermore, the WHO-coordinated Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network faces imminent shutdown, which is particularly concerning given the resurgence of measles in the United States.

Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for the United States to ensure an orderly and humane transition, allowing countries to find alternative sources of funding.

He stated, “The United States has a 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 sources of funding.”

The funding shortages have already forced 167 health facilities in Afghanistan to shut down, with over 220 more at risk of closure by June.

The WHO has also been forced to freeze hiring and initiate budget cuts due to the U.S. plans to exit the organization. As a result, the WHO plans to cut its funding target for emergency operations to $872 million from $1.2 billion in the 2026-2027 budget period.