UNAIDS chief: US funding cut could mean '10-fold increase' in deaths

The head of the United Nations program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warned Monday there will be a "10-fold increase" in AIDS-related deaths due to the recent cuts in U.S. foreign funding.

USAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima told reporters in Geneva that the impact of the funding cuts has been devastating, warning that a spike in the global AIDS pandemic, due to these cuts, will kill millions more around the round.

"At the last count, in 2023, some 600,000 AIDS-related deaths were registered globally, she said. "So, you're talking of a 10-fold increase." That would mean about 6 million annual AIDS-related deaths.

President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have slashed foreign aid over the past two months, but have said "life-saving" programs will continue under the State Department.

"It is reasonable for the United States to want to reduce its funding over time, but the sudden withdrawal of lifesaving support is having a devastating impact," Byanyima said.

She called for "an urgent restoration of services — lifesaving services."

Last week, The Hill learned that a whisteblower provided a nearly 400-page list to Congress about the impact of Rubio’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which have led to shutting down of humanitarian programs around the world.

According to Democrats, the list came from the desk of Peter Marocco, one of the leading figures dismantling USAID alongside tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.

Some of the cuts mentioned appear to affect lifesaving services — such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria prevention, along with maternal and baby health.

On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Musk and DOGE likely acted unconstitutionally while attempting to gut USAID. Another federal judge issued a similar ruling earlier this month, saying that Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in the initial foreign aid freeze.

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