“People will die,” says the Canadian charity organization in Kenya while Trump’s USAID reduces the threats of HIV drugs

In Nanyuki, market town only northwest of Mount Kenya, some workers and volunteers with foreign assistance are worried about US President Donald Trump Disassembly of the US International Development Agency It will mean for people there.

“It’s a concern. It’s a real problem,” said Rex Taylor, co -founder and president of Smalog project, a registered Canadian charity organization that helps send your children to school in rural Kenya.

“According to my judgment, it will mean that people will die unnecessarily,” he told CBC News while he was on an annual visit to Nanyuki.

Kenya has one of the highest HIV rates in the world, and in 11th place was ranked with a ward -up 3.7 percent in 2022, according to World Health Organization. About 1.4 million Kenyans is HIV positive, according to a non -profit organization Know. AMFAR, AIDS Research Foundation, notes that about 1.3 million people are in the treatment of HIV/AIDS Earth.

Kenya relies on direct US financing by 29 percent of its consumption associated with HIV, According to Unaids – 10. The most famous country in the world.

Taylor says his concern that Trump’s freezing of foreign aids could be interrupted by access to antiretroviral drugs (ARV), which prevents HIV replicated in the body.

But especially, Taylor says that he cares for Joseph Abwoi, a 20-year-old culinary culinary student in Nanyuki. Taylor, who lives in Newmarket, Ont., Supports Awoi’s education through a small project since Awoi was a child.

In May, Awoi, an orphan who was born with deaf and hiv-positive, will attend a culinary program in Nairobi through this continuous funding. Although his educational funding is not related to USAIDs, like many other Kenyans, Awoi relies on the ARV.

And Taylor says he shares an awoil story to put his face on a potential influence of USAID cuts.

“It’s a situation that is still going on here. It’s under the radar, people don’t think about it,” Taylor said.

“People need to know that there are real people who are without resources, because of the circumstances of their country and birth, who, if threats require the way we are afraid, will mean that they start to get sick.”

Humanitarian’s efforts in chaos

Trump’s administration announced last week to cancel nearly 10,000 scholarships and a foreign assistance contract worth almost $ 60 billion, completing about 90 percent of USAID global work.

The closure of the USAID is part of an unprecedented reduction in the Federal Government by Elon Musk’s Ministry of Government Efficiency. The sudden death of the help agency has inserted globally humanitarian relief efforts in chaos.

Last Friday, the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said he was deeply concerned about serious reductions in American foreign aid, in a strong reproachful move he said he would be “particularly devastating” for vulnerable people in the world.

“Passing with these cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe and less prosperous. The reduction of American humanitarian role and influence will oppose American interests globally,” Guterres said in a statement to the UN journalists.

HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other programs have stopped, he stopped, he said.

Humanitarian aid through the US presidential plan to help AIDS or Pepfar, the fight against HIV Kenya has largely funded USAID. Over the last two decades, the US government, through Pepfar, has spent more than $ 8 billion USA US on HIV/AIDS treatment for close to 1.3 million people in Kenya, reports Associated Press.

Last month Margaret Ora, Community health worker Who lives in Nairobi, wrote Objection to LinkedIn, Expressing their fears that now they “withdrawn from help in helping like mine from ARV’s stock.”

“Many look at you as the main country and the superpower. The rescue of life does not make you poorer,” Ora wrote.

“We pray for you.”

“What happens when a drug supplies run out of?”

At the end of January, the Kenyan Ministry of Health Published a statement repeating your commitment to maintaining the HIV/AIDS treatment program.

“The Ministry is actively socializing with other development partners and investing in local pharmaceutical production to prevent treatment disorders,” said Dr. Patrick Amoth, General Director of Health.

But without a strong plan for extraordinary situations, “the sudden end of the financing of Pepfar will have devastating consequences,” wrote three professors of medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the University of Manitoba in the article Posted in the conversation February 24.

Manitoba University is a partnership with the Outreach Sex workers (SWOP) and a local agency in Nairobi for 45 years, Assistant Prof. Julie Lajoie, prof. Keith Fowke and doctorate candidate Toby Le.

The Pepfar Partnership has funded Pepfar since 2003.

If this funding is over, “it would mean more HIV testing, preventative treatment and antiretroviral therapy – which would increase the risk of transmission, which would lead to increasing cases and even more deaths in people living with HIV,” the professors wrote.

In Nanyuki, no one really knows what will happen next, and there is a lot of concern, says Taylor. She will continue to support Awoi, including “absolutely” paying her medicines through a charity organization if it becomes necessary, Taylor said.

But he cares about all other people in Kenya who may not be able to afford an antiretrovirus.

“There are a lot of children – and a lot of adults – who are like him,” Taylor said.

“What happens when a drug supply expires?”