In this introduction episode of Crossing the Last Mile, UNAIDS Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Anne Githuku-Shongwe, reflects on the dramatic impact of sudden cuts to U.S. international aid and what they revealed about the sustainability of Africa’s HIV response.
The episode explores how millions of people across the region were affected almost overnight with clinics closing, health workers losing jobs, and life-saving services disrupted in countries where up to 90% of HIV funding had come from the U.S. government.
Listen how African governments responded with urgency, stepping up domestic financing through new taxes, budget reallocations, and political commitments to keep treatment services running.