Change in US aid may disrupt HIV, malaria treatment

The United States is changing the way it supplies medical goods to low-income countries, a move that several sources say could disrupt the delivery of life-saving services, including drugs and equipment to treat diseases such as HIV and malaria.

Until now, the system has been managed by the Global Health Supply Chain programme, run by Chemonics, which shipped products worth more than $5 billion to around 90 countries between 2016 and 2024.

The programme was disrupted after the Trump administration froze foreign aid, leading to supplies being held at warehouses and ports. Some deliveries later resumed.

Washington now plans to shift to a new model based on bilateral agreements with individual countries, with possible involvement from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. However, sources say the pace of the transition could lead to drug shortages and supply disruptions.

The US State Department has asked staff in 17 African countries and Haiti to complete implementation of the existing programme by the end of May. An internal email warns of risks to continuity of services, with no detailed transition plan yet in place.

(reuters, max)