United Nations, May 29, 2025 (Lusa) - Angola is among the countries most affected by the US cuts in funding for the global fight against HIV and AIDS that have resulted in an increase in uncertainties and risks related to the availability and management of products for this purpose, according to an analysis by the the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS - also known as UNAIDS.
In the survey entitled ‘Impact of US funding cuts: an overview of HIV product availability and management risks’ that focusses on the situation in 56 countries as of 28 April, the agency stresses that the sudden suspension of US foreign aid has resulted in a multifactorial increase in risks and challenges, especially on the African continent.
Angola, for example, is on the list of countries with six or fewer months of stock of at least one HIV testing product.
According to UNAIDS, Angola only had Bioline confirmatory test kits for the month of May.
The same list also includes countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Guatemala and Ukraine.
The report also indicates that around 23% of the 56 countries analysed reported six months or less of stock of condoms - the most widely used HIV prevention method - or PrEP - a drug taken to prevent HIV infection.
"This is happening against a backdrop of a global decline in subsidised and public sector condom procurement, which has fallen by an average of 30% from its peak in 2011," stresses UNAIDS - a programme that was created in 1996 with the aim of finding solutions and helping nations fight HIV/AIDS - in its analysis.
In some cases, the gaps in condom availability are due to accessibility problems, often associated with the cessation of outreach activities and mobile clinics that distributed condoms among vulnerable groups, for example in Lesotho, Malawi and South Sudan.
In addition, around 14% of countries have six or fewer months' stock of at least one line of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Countries such as Brazil, Botswana, India, Kazakhstan, Panama or the Philippines reported a low to minimal risk of shortages of antiretrovirals, since they purchase them directly with national resources.
Funding for antiretrovirals comes from a variety of sources and their availability and effective delivery depend on well-coordinated efforts by stakeholders.
Even when HIV products are available in the country, these do not always reach health facilities, resulting in shortages for patients and undermining confidence in the continuity of treatment.
Around 46% of the countries reported problems with product chain management.
This means that the degree of uncertainty and public concern about the continued availability of and access to free antiretroviral treatment has increased significantly.
Around 18% of the countries signalled public reactions to the uncertainty, among other changes in individual behaviour in relation to antiretroviral treatment.
Faced with cuts in aid from the government in Washington, national authorities have mobilised for additional budget allocations to guarantee the availability and management of HIV supplies.
In its analysis, UNAIDS placed Angola and another Portuguese-language country, Mozambique, on the list of countries that reported challenges in product chain management and mitigation actions.
With regard to Angola, the document states, "although there is stock of HIV products in the regional warehouse, logistics are disrupted and cases of stock-outs have been reported in one of the provinces supported by PEPFAR" - a reference to the US funding plan to tackle the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Meanwhile, Mozambique, where the "previous challenges with transporting health products to health centres may already be being resolved" - since CHEGAR, the project responsible for transporting health products, "has recently resumed work with alternative financing arrangements," UNAIDS states.
In the bigger picture, "if funding is not restored or replaced, progress will be lost," the agency's director said on Thursday in Tajikistan, a country that "will lose around 60% of the funding for its HIV programme" if US resources are not restored.
The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, is to present his report on HIV to the General Assembly in New York next Thursday.
MYMM/ARO // ARO.
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