Millions more will die of AIDS if US funding is not replaced - UN

Years of American-led investment into AIDS programs has reduced the number of people killed by the disease to the lowest levels seen in more than three decades, and provided lifesaving medicines for some of the world's most vulnerable.

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But in the last six months, the sudden withdrawal of US money has caused a "systemic shock," UN officials warned, adding that if the funding isn't replaced, it could lead to more than four million AIDS-related deaths and six million more HIV infections by 2029.

"The current wave of funding losses has already destabilized supply chains, led to the closure of health facilities, left thousands of health clinics without staff, set back prevention programs, disrupted HIV testing efforts, and forced many community organizations to reduce or halt their HIV activities," UNAIDS said in a report released Thursday.

UNAIDS also said that it feared other major donors might also scale back their support, reversing decades of progress against AIDS worldwide - and that the strong multilateral cooperation is in jeopardy because of wars, geopolitical shifts, and climate change.