The Global Fund says it has contributed to cutting the combined death rate from AIDS, TB and malaria by 61 percent over the past two decades, saving 65 million lives.
“We’re talking about disease programs that affect millions of people,” Sands said. There are roughly 25 million people on antiretroviral treatment in the countries where PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and the Global Fund are investing, he said — “people whose health is potentially at risk from disruptions to programming.”
These HIV funding cuts also come as the world has a “game changing opportunity” to bring forward the end of HIV as a public health threat, he added, thanks to the latest drugs.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned that the recent funding cuts will have a “devastating impact” on tuberculosis (TB) programs worldwide, given that the U.S. has historically been the largest donor. In some countries cuts are already causing severe disruptions, and the timing couldn’t be worse: The European region is experiencing a 10 percent surge in childhood TB cases.
In malaria treatment and prevention, where progress had already stalled due to challenges such as climate change, drug resistance and ongoing conflicts, “now we run the risk that we go backwards,” Sands said.
Health leaders are warning that these cuts will impact those living in the most vulnerable communities, including low- and middle-income countries and war zones.
