The general director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned Monday that advances achieved in the last 20 years against various diseasessuch as malaria or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are “at risk” after the US financing cuts, which has been the largest donor in programs such as the fight against malaria.
«Many of the advances achieved in the last 20 years against malaria are now at risk due to cuts in US financing for global health (…). The impact of these cuts will be even greater, And we are seeing it. Currently, there are serious interruptions in the supply of diagnoses, medications and mosquito nets treated with insecticides for malaria due to shortage, deliveries in deliveries or lack of financing, ”said tedros during a press conference.
Tedros has detailed that American help contributed to prevent 2.2 billion cases in the last two decadesand that these interruptions could reverse “15 years of progress”, causing 15 million additional cases to be diagnosed. In addition, he has assured that the HIV situation is similar, since the suspension of the President’s emergency plan for the United States AIDS (Pepfar) has caused the “immediate” interruption of HIV’s treatment, testing and prevention services in more than 50 countries.
Antiretroviral therapy
«Eight countries currently suffer substantial interruptions in antiretroviral therapy and will run out of medications in the coming months. Interruptions in HIV programs could reverse 20 years of progresswhich would cause more than 10 million additional cases of HIV and three million deaths related to HIV, more than triple last year’s figure, ”he added.
The CEO of the WHO has asserted that these cuts in financing occur “in the worst possible time”, because it coincides with a resurgence of measles during the last three years. «Since 1974, Measles vaccines have saved almost 94 million lives, But these advances are also at risk. Sudden cuts to US financing are also affecting efforts to eradicate polio, monitor the emergence of diseases such as avian flu and respond to outbreaks of humanitarian diseases and crises, ”he added.
These cuts They can cause almost 24 million people living to these health crises They cannot access essential health services, and that is that more than 2,600 centers of this type, present in twelve areas with humanitarian crises, have suspended their services totally or partially. In that sense, he has detailed that the “major” refugee camp in the world, located in Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh), has experienced an interruption of the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C, as well as the surveillance of diseases, primary and secondary care, laboratory services, the acquisition of supplies and salaries of health personnel.
The More than 700 Laboratories of the WHO network Against measles and rubella, which are funded “exclusively” by the United States, they also face an “imminent” closure. «The US government has been extremely generous for many years. And, of course, he has the right to decide what he supports and to what extent. But the United States also has the responsibility of ensuring that, if it withdraws direct financing to countries, it does so in an orderly and human way, ”said Tedros.
Up to 27 countries in Africa and Asia face “serious problems” in tuberculosis responsebecause they are experiencing human resources shortage, interruptions in diagnosis and treatment, collapse of data and surveillance systems, or the deterioration of community participation. In fact, nine countries have reported deficiencies in acquisition chains and supply of tuberculosis medications, which “endangers” the lives of people with tuberculosis. «In the last two decades, American support for services against tuberculosis has helped save almost 80 million lives. These achievements are also at risk, ”he said.
Global tuberculosis response
For its part, the member of the WHO civil society working group on tuberculosis, Handaa Enkh-Amgalan, has lamented that 74% of WHO financing objective for tuberculosis (22,000 million dollars-about 20,000 million euros-per year for 2027) has not yet been covered. «The imminent financing cuts for 2025 this gap in the world response to tuberculosis aggravates even moretaking it to the edge of collapse. Without urgent intervention, these systemic failures will only increase the spread of tuberculosis and aggravate this world health crisis, ”he stressed.
After that, he recalled that Interruptions in tuberculosis services during Covid-19 pandemic caused 700,000 additional deathsdespite being a preventable and curable disease, so he has urged not to “allow history to be repeated.” That is why he has urged to avoid interruptions in tuberculosis services; to guarantee equitable attention to tuberculosis within national budgets; to safeguard critical resources; To strengthen alliances with the public and private sectors, NGOs, donors and affected communities; to improve monitoring systems; and focus “on the human stories behind” of statistics.
The Director of the PENS Immunization, Vaccines and Biological Products, Katherine O’Brien, has stated that the Financing cuts “They put lives in danger” and will cause “hundreds of thousands of additional deaths,” especially for the interruption of vaccine distribution that of measles.
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