Paris, June 12 (QNA) - The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warned Friday that significant reductions in international aid are putting global HIV prevention and treatment efforts at risk, leading to declines in testing and access to preventive medications.

Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said this is the first time HIV response has faced such disruption since the global mobilization against the disease began.

She highlighted sudden aid cuts from major donors, including the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, which have strained NGOs and affected HIV programs in the world’s poorest regions.

A new UNAIDS report shows measurable consequences: the number of people accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) dropped 38 percent across about 60 countries, testing rates fell 22 percent in the hardest-hit sub-Saharan African nations, funding for condom distribution decreased by 90 percent, and prevention program financing fell 80 percent.

The report estimates 570,000 deaths and 1.2 million new infections from HIV last year. While overall trends have been declining since 2010, Byanyima stressed that the full impact of reduced aid may take years to become apparent, as new infection monitoring is not immediate. (QNA)