HIV advocates worry about gains reversal from Trump’s budget cuts

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By CGTN's Daniel Ryntjes

The UN organization UNAIDS said that since 2010, AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 42% and new infections are down by 29%.

More than half the people with HIV also have access to treatment.

South and East Africa, where more than half of all people with HIV are living, also showed the most progress in fighting the virus. Still, 1.8 million people globally were newly infected in 2016.

Just when the UNAIDS is seeing progress, advocates are now worried by the proposed budget cuts from the biggest donor nation, the US.

Seven-year-old Sibongile, who lives with AIDS, is assisted by a caretaker at the Lambano hospice facility in Germiston, East of Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov.30, 2016. /VCG Photo

US President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts would reduce funding for global HIV programs by 1 billion US dollars.

"At this point in time they are abdicating their leadership; they are not living up to the global commitments to play in part in curbing the epidemic. And so we are almost at a crossroads and the US has a decision to make and that’s why we are looking to Congress. Are we really going to allow the US government to abdicate our leadership and our responsibility when it comes to our part in fighting global HIV?" said Serra Sippel, President of the Center for Health and Gender Equity.

Young women in Sub-Saharan Africa aged between 15 and 24 are at greater risk of HIV infection, with a 44% higher infection rate than their male peers.

"When you see this youth wave and you see the risk to young women. If in this moment we don’t figure this out and really get these programs to scale, we’re not going to have the impact on the epidemic we were hoping to have," warned Deborah Birx from the US Global AIDS Coordinator.

The President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR set up a program called DREAMS two years ago to help girls and young women in 10 African nations.

The program recognizes that young women can only benefit from medical progress in treatment and prevention if they are empowered by better education and culturally sensitive healthcare and advice.

President Trump strengthened rules blocking funding for any groups that deal with abortion-related issues, even if that involves simply providing advice, making it more difficult to support some projects.

But advocates have begun a determined effort to influence members of Congress who will organize and vote on the forthcoming budget, to ensure that the commitments on global HIV programs are maintained.