Life on Hold: HIV Drug Shortage in Kenya Amid US Aid Freeze

The U.S. government's freeze on foreign aid has led to a shortage of HIV drugs in Kenya. Medications are locked in warehouses while clinics ration supplies. The freeze disrupts USAID funding, affecting the distribution of essential medicine.

Kenya faces a critical shortage of HIV medication following a freeze on U.S. foreign aid, leaving life-saving drugs locked away in storage as clinics struggle to ration their supplies. The shortage highlights the consequences of halting the global supply chain vital for combating HIV.

The United States Government's decision significantly disrupted USAID's funding stream, preventing the distribution of HIV medicine in Kenya. Millions of dollars worth of ARVs and test kits sit idle, while the clinics that rely on them have been forced to adjust supply frequencies for their patients, escalating patient anxiety.

Although a waiver exempting HIV treatment funding was issued, logistic and financial hurdles persist, leaving clinics with reduced provisions. The global health community is closely observing the crisis to gauge potential widespread implications as legal battles continue to unfold in the U.S. over aid cuts.

(With inputs from agencies.)