The head of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, has condemned recent U.S. aid cuts to HIV programmes, warning the decision could trigger 6 million new infections and 4 million deaths globally by 2029.

Speaking at a development summit in Spain, Byanyima said she was “shaken and disgusted” by the cancellation of Pepfar, the U.S.-funded emergency HIV relief plan that has been a lifeline since 2003. “This is a deadly funding crisis. A global response knocked totally off course,” she said.

Fallout from Pepfar Withdrawal

Pepfar accounted for 60% of UNAIDS’ budget. Its abrupt suspension, ordered by President Donald Trump in February, has already led to the closure of clinics, halted prevention campaigns, and triggered mass job losses, according to the agency.

“What went away immediately was prevention services. Now research is going too,” Byanyima told The Guardian, describing the humanitarian fallout as “seismic.” She admitted she had considered resigning, but resolved to “take my gloves off” and continue the fight.

The Ugandan-born executive criticised donor states’ shift away from the 0.7% GDP aid target and lamented that wars continue to be funded while life-saving programmes for the poor are slashed.

Africa Hit Hardest

The cuts are being felt across Africa, where governments already face crushing debt and declining foreign assistance. “Many people will die,” Byanyima warned. “Young girls, men who have sex with men—these are people who hide, who are shunned.”

She called for “debt justice, tax justice,” and a rethinking of the global aid model, insisting it should move from unpredictable charity to reliable solidarity. “Health is a human right,” she said. “No one should die if we can prevent it.”