By Dorica Mtenje
LILONGWE Maravipost: The sudden cut in global health aid is putting millions of people with HIV in danger. Most of them about 65 percent live in Africa, If nothing is done soon, this could cause 6.3 million more people to die from AIDS in the coming years.
In an interview with Maravi Post on Wednesday, April 22, Dr. Cecilia Kanyama from the University of North Carolina (UNC )Project in Malawi said AIDS-related illnesses killed 390,000 people in Africa in 2023. She said 130,000 of those deaths were from cryptococcal meningitis, a deadly brain infection and the second leading cause of HIV-related deaths.
Kanyama said the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) and partners have started testing a new treatment for cryptococcal meningitis in Malawi and Tanzania.
“The new treatment could save lives and help health workers in poor areas facing funding cuts by making care simpler and more effective,”said Kanyama.
African countries are likely to face serious health challenges following aid cuts linked to policies introduced during Donald Trump’s presidency, which reduced support for key health programs across the continent.