The World Health Organization (WHO) is alarmed due to a possible crisis in the supply of medicines for HIV treatment in Ukraine and seven other countries. The decision of the Donald Trump administration to suspend the US external assistance significantly violated the supply of HIV drugs, which can lead to catastrophic consequences, Reuters reports.
In addition to Ukraine, the list of threat countries includes Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria. According to WHO estimates, these countries can exhaust their medication reserves for the coming months, which will jeopardize the lives of millions of people.
WHO CEO Tedros Adan Hebreisus stressed that the termination of funding can cause more than 10 million additional cases of HIV information and three million deaths worldwide.
The global network of measles and rubella, which consists of more than 700 centers worldwide and coordinated by WHO, was threatened. The situation worsens due to the return of measles in the United States, which requires immediate response.
According to the latest data, as of March 4, 167 medical facilities have stopped working due to lack of funding, and more than 220 institutions may be closed by June, unless urgent intervention is performed.
The US plans for the departure of WHO have already led to the freezing of employment and initiating budget reduction. Uncertainty in international assistance is jeopardizing not only HIV fighting programs, but also other global health care initiatives.
