The United Nations has warned that the halt to U.S. foreign aid, particularly the PEPFAR program, is a “ticking time bomb” that threatens to reverse progress made in the fight against AIDS. Despite recent progress, with 31.6 million people on antiretroviral drugs and AIDS-related deaths halving since 2010, funding cuts are causing widespread disruptions in prevention and treatment programs. UNAIDS warned that if funding doesn't resume, the world could see more than six million new infections and 4.2 million additional AIDS-related deaths over the next four years.

The cuts are particularly devastating for women-led HIV organizations, with over 60% losing funding, and have led to a drastic decline in the use of preventive measures like PrEP in places like Nigeria. Research on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, especially in high-burden countries like South Africa, has also been severely impacted. While some countries have used domestic resources to fill the gap, the UN calls for debt relief and reform of international financial systems to help developing nations sustain their responses. The global HIV effort, while resilient, faces a critical setback if aid is not restored.