The UsAID exclusion puts millions of African life at risk

Last year alone, USA contributed $ 3.7 billion in humanitarian aid to Subsaharan Africa. At least 73 percent of this is allocated to health programs, including HIV treatment and prevention. For those who live with HIV, much of the benefit of this funding came through the President’s emergency plan to relieve AIDS – or Pepfar, who buys and supplies HIV medicines for needy countries. Since starting with former US President George W. Bush more than two decades ago, Pepfar saved millions of lives in Africa.

Before Pepfar HIV, it often meant a death sentence in Africa. Today, many living with the virus are able to lead a normal life thanks to drugs that have been released through it. Assistance programs also allowed Ssharara countries to make vital progress in the content of HIV epidemic by the percentage of infection recording, improving testing and reducing transmission from mother to child.

In fact, many countries in Africa, including Nigeria, are on CUSP To control the HIV epidemic and approach the global goals of “95-95-95”-where 95 percent of people living with HIV are diagnosed, 95 percent of the diagnosed ones receive antiretroviral therapy, and 95 percent of those who receive antiretroviral therapy , achieve viral suppression, which is where the patient is not detectable HIV and is effective without the risk of transmission of the virus.

Now, with the Pepfar rescue line, at first glance, public health workers are worried that these profits can be turned. “We will have an almost collapse of the healthcare system if all funding is stopped after freezing 90 days, since only the Nigeria government will not be able to provide the necessary services,” says Isa.

Isa and his colleagues published a exploration In 2021, about the desire of people living with HIV in Nigeria, to pay for treatment from the pocket. This study found that although many acknowledged the life -saving importance of maintaining their treatment and therefore they are ready to pay, the cost of medicines is a big barrier for them.

Per month of the generic version of Truvada, a medicine used to treat HIV, as well as to protect against infection both before and after exposure, spending About $ 60 a month. On top of that, there are costs for regular laboratory tests to check the viral load, the health of the immune system and the kidney conditions and conditions of the liver and heart, which can be caused by infection. For low -income countries in Africa, this is a great challenge: at least 41 percent of Africa’s population on Subsahara lives less from $ 1.90 a day; The national minimum wage in Nigeria is $ 40 a month.

Displaying a willingness to incorporate the difference in funding, the Nigeria Government vote Earlier this week, for $ 4.8 billion ($ 3.2 million) to be launched to get 150,000 HIV treatment kits. But although it is a good short -term sign, it is nowhere close to what the HIV treatment and prevention program is needed in the event of a long -term withdrawal of Washington support.

If the freezing of funding in the US is maintained after a 90-day break, many people living with HIV in Africa will probably not consistently pay from the pocket for the medicines and laboratory tests they need. “Since someone is fully medication and the person has achieved an undetectable viral load, it means that the person cannot transmit the virus,” says Isa. “But if they miss their treatment and medication, the viral load can be increased again, leading to endangering their families and loved ones.”