Global Health Leaders Call on EU to Fill Gap Left by US Funding Cuts

The Global Fund Reports Major Progress Against AIDS, TB, and Malaria — But Warns of Serious Setbacks Amid Funding Cuts

The Global Fund has announced a significant milestone: over the past 20 years, its initiatives have helped reduce the combined death rate from AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria by 61 percent, ultimately saving 65 million lives.

“These diseases affect millions of people,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. He noted that around 25 million individuals are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy in countries where both the Global Fund and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) invest. However, he cautioned, many of these individuals are now at risk due to recent funding cuts that could disrupt essential treatment programs.

Sands emphasized that the funding reductions come at a particularly critical time. Thanks to the development of newer and more effective medications, the world has a “game-changing opportunity” to eliminate HIV as a public health threat. Yet current financial setbacks threaten to stall this progress.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also raised the alarm, warning that recent funding cuts could have a “devastating impact” on global TB programs. The U.S. has historically been the largest donor to these initiatives, and budget reductions are already causing serious disruptions in some nations. The warning comes amid a worrying trend: a 10 percent rise in childhood TB cases has been reported in Europe, which experts see as a disturbing sign of declining control over the disease.

Meanwhile, efforts to prevent and treat malaria are also at risk. Progress had already slowed due to factors including climate change, drug resistance, and conflict. Now, with declining financial support, “we run the risk that we go backwards,” Sands warned.

Health experts are urging the global community not to overlook the repercussions of these cuts. They fear a disproportionate impact on people in the most vulnerable regions, especially low- and middle-income countries and areas affected by war. Without continued investment, decades of hard-won gains against three of the world’s deadliest diseases could begin to unravel.