Supply of life-saving medical products could be delayed by government freeze: 'This is a huge mess to untangle'
These problems are in line with what officials have said are unintended consequences of sweeping government freezes and cuts, though they remain unaddressed thus far.
Now, experts say that the consequences of the USAID freeze are disrupting the medical product supply chain and driving up prices for life-saving treatments.
As Reuters reported, USAID typically spends about $600 million annually on medicines, equipment, and diagnostic tests to help people in disadvantaged countries. However, the agency has now been cut off from spending, and there are far-reaching implications.
Medication and medical supply orders, which are usually made months in advance, are now on hold. Patients receiving continuous treatments can no longer receive necessary care.
Meanwhile, the global health supply chain is experiencing ripple effects from the foreign aid freeze. Experts say that a considerable backlog is already forming and that treatment prices will increase because of the order disruptions.
Fitsum Lakew Alemayehu, African Union liaison manager at WACI Health, told Reuters, "There will be a huge backlog. In Africa, millions have been on those treatments."
"This is a huge mess to untangle," said Health Response Alliance's CEO Tom Cotter.
The news of halted foreign aid for essential medical treatments is concerning in the short term and the long term. There will be immediate effects for the people who cannot continue with the treatments they started.
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Even if the funding freeze lasts only 90 days during a review period, as President Donald Trump initially indicated, production, delivery, and potentially legal issues will still need to be resolved before medicine and supply delivery can continue as in the past.
This news is also concerning because of the rise in vector-borne illnesses worldwide. Our planet's steady overheating is creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes to breed and thrive.
These insects are adapting to the rising temperatures, increasing the disease risks for people worldwide, especially in poor regions without access to readily available medications.
Companies that supply medical products are closely monitoring the halted foreign aid situation to help patients continue to gain access to the medications they depend on. Yet much is currently uncertain as HIV clinics close, emergency food aid halts, and research stops.
Given this uncertainty, communities must take preventative action to protect vulnerable people's health and curb our worsening climate conditions.
Although some diseases are unpreventable, there are simple actions individuals can take to protect themselves from other conditions.
For example, you can keep disease-carrying mosquitoes out of your yard and garden with naturally repelling plants like lavender and marigolds. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to toxic chemicals that you can use to keep mosquitoes away and reduce your disease risks.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rony Seikaly reflects on how players treated Magic after HIV diagnosis: "Watching all the players kind of distance themselves was really not something that I was very proud of"
Rony Seikaly reflects on how players treated Magic after HIV diagnosis: "Watching all the players kind of distance themselves was really not something that I was very proud of" originally appeared on Basketball Network. When Earvin Magic Johnson announced his retirement in November 1991 after testing positive for HIV, the basketball world was rocked deeply. Looking back from today's standpoint, we have to understand that it was a time when the disease was largely misunderstood and cloaked in fear and misinformation. As for the guys in the best basketball league in the world, the NBA, the reaction was mixed. Plenty of shock, a touch of sympathy among fellow players and, quite understandably, distance from many of them. Those afraid, uncertain about how HIV spread, instinctively pushed Magic away, avoiding all contact by any means necessary. Ron Seikaly, the Lebanese-American big man who was a walking double-double at the time of his peak, didn't shy away from admitting his disappointment at how the Los Angeles Lakers legend was treated. "So, basically, when Magic retired because of HIV, a lot of the players and a lot of the people didn't understand the disease and stuff like that. Everybody just didn't want to be around Magic. Nobody knew how you would get infected. So, all the players kinda pushed away. For me growing up, Magic Johnson was the NBA. Him and Larry Bird. Watching all the players kind of distance themselves from Magic Johnson was really not something that I was very proud of," Ron said about the unknown situation at the time. Seikaly went on to support his idol Ron's respect for Magic ran very deep, and it passed the lines of pure basketball competitiveness. Johnson was his idol, so Seikaly recalled how, before a game, he approached Magic with nothing but respect and compassion, despite the tension and fear hanging in the air around the diagnosis. "I remember before one of the games, I wanted to go up to Magic and just give him a hug. He was still working out, still giving his all, despite everything. It was not something that he chose. The reaction to it was very bad," Seikaly explained. This human approach was rare in a league where the unknown ruled all the time. Seikaly acknowledged that while players were pushing away physically, he wanted to break through that barrier, showing that beyond the disease, Magic was still a competitor, a peer and most importantly, a person deserving of respect for everything that he did for the Association during the 1980s, alongside Larry Bird, of almost missed his last ASG Even as Magic returned for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, in a moment that was meant to be a fitting tribute for the end of his legendary career, the unease around him hadn't completely faded. Not only that, but some players still questioned if he should be out there at all, which only goes to show the unwillingness of competitors to go full strength at him. "Some guys came out and said, 'I don't want to play against the guy if I have a chance to get sick.' I'm not going to name any names," the Western Conference starting guard Clyde Drexler stated at the time. That's where Seikaly's perspective stood out. Instead of retreating like so many others, he offered to bring back that physicality through the simple hug. He saw Magic as more than just a "walking diagnosis." That reaction from the towering big man aged far better than the fear-driven reactions of the story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Canceled HIV research in R.I. is reinstated, but fears persist about DEI crackdown
The order from US District Judge William Young in Massachusetts was narrow, reinstating nearly 900 grants awarded to the plaintiffs, not all of the thousands of grants canceled by NIH so far this year. Young called DEI an 'undefined enemy‚" and said the Trump administration's 'blacklisting' of certain topics 'has absolutely nothing to do with the promotion of science or research.' Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up The Trump administration is appealing the ruling, and Advertisement 'We feel like we're tippy-toeing around,' said Nunn, who leads the Rhode Island Public Health Institute. 'The backbone of the field is steadfast pursuit of the truth. People are trying to find workarounds where they don't have to compromise the integrity of their science.' Advertisement Nunn said she renewed her membership to the American Public Health Association in order to ensure she'd be included in the lawsuit. Despite DEI concerns, she plans to continue enrolling gay Black and Hispanic men in her study, which will include 300 patients in Rhode Island, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C. Black and Hispanic men who have sex with other men contract HIV at The study was just getting underway, with 20 patients enrolled, when the work was shut down by the NIH in March. While Nunn's clinic in Providence did not do any layoffs, the clinic in Mississippi — Express Personal Health — shut down, and the D.C. clinic laid off staff. The four-month funding flip-flop could delay the results of the study by two years, Nunn said, depending on how quickly the researchers can rehire and train new staff. The researchers will also need to find a new clinic in Mississippi. The patients — 100 each in Rhode Island, Mississippi, and D.C. — will then be followed for a year as they take Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, to The protocol that's being studied is the use of a patient navigator for 'aggressive case management.' That person will help the patient navigate costs, insurance, transportation to the clinic, dealing with homophobia and other barriers to staying on PrEP, which can be taken as a pill or a shot. The study's delay means 'the science is aging on the vine,' Nunn said, as new HIV prevention drugs are rolled out. 'The very thing that we're studying might very well be obsolete by the time we're able to reenroll all of this.' Advertisement Dr. Amy Nunn, executive director of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute, in a patient room at Open Door Health, an HIV clinic in Providence, R.I. Patients will be seen here for her HIV study that has been reinstated following a lawsuit against the Trump administration. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff The hundreds of reinstated grants include titles that reference race and gender, such as a study of cervical cancer screening rates in Latina women, alcohol use among transgender youth, aggressive breast cancer rates in Black and Latina women, and multiple HIV/AIDs studies involving LGBTQ patients. 'Many of these grants got swept up almost incidentally by the particular language that they used,' said Peter Lurie, the president of the Center of Science in the Public Interest, which joined the lawsuit. 'There was an arbitrary quality to the whole thing.' Lurie said blocking scientists from studying racial disparities in public health outcomes will hurt all Americans, not just the people in the affected groups. 'A very high question for American public health is why these racial disparities continue to exist,' Lurie said. 'We all lose in terms of questions not asked, answers not generated, and opportunities for saving lives not implemented.' The Trump administration is not backing down from its stance on DEI, even as it restores the funding. The reinstatement letters from the NIH sent to scientists this month include a condition that they must comply with Trump's executive order on 'biological truth,' which rescinded federal recognition of transgender identity, along with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin. Kenneth Parreno, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said he was told by Trump administration lawyers that new letters would be sent out without those terms. But Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said Wednesday the administration 'stands by its decision to end funding for research that prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes for the American people.' Advertisement 'HHS is committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars support programs rooted in evidence-based practices and gold standard science — not driven by divisive DEI mandates or gender ideology," Nixon said in any email to the Globe. The Trump administration's appeal is pending before the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. A motion for a stay of Young's decision was denied, and the Trump administration is appealing that ruling to the US Supreme Court. The ongoing push to remove DEI from science has created fear in the scientific community, which relies on federal funding to conduct its research and make payroll. 'Scientific morale has taken a big hit,' Nunn said. 'People are apprehensive.' Indeed, major research institutions have faced mass funding cuts from the federal government since Trump took office. Brown University, the largest research institution in Rhode Island, had more than $500 million frozen until it In exchange for the research dollars to be released, Brown agreed not to engage in racial discrimination in admissions or university programming, and will provide access to admissions data to the federal government so it can assess compliance. The university also agreed not to perform any gender-affirming surgeries and to adopt Trump's definitions of a male and female in the 'biological truth' executive order. While some have avoided speaking out, fearing further funding cuts, Nunn said she felt a 'moral and ethical duty' to do so. Advertisement 'We have to dissent,' Nunn said. 'Scientific discovery around the world hangs in the balance.' Steph Machado can be reached at
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Two Shots A Year: How A New HIV Drug Is Tackling Stigma And Saving Lives
Today's HIV/AIDS transmission rate makes one thing painfully clear: the virus is no longer affecting just the LGBTQIA communities. In fact, if you're Black, straight, and living in America, the silence around HIV prevention might be putting you at greater risk than ever before. This quiet truth is what made the presence of Gilead Sciences – a biopharmaceutical company primarily known for its work in developing and delivering innovative therapies for diseases like HIV/AIDS– at this year's National Medical Association (NMA) Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly so crucial. With the launch of Yeztugo, Gilead's new injectable PrEP for adults and adolescents, the HIV prevention landscape is shifting. Offering six months of protection with just two injections per year, Yeztugo stands in stark contrast to existing PrEP regimens, which require a daily pill and quarterly visits for refills and lab monitoring. Dr. Debra Wafer, the public affairs, community engagement, and advocacy lead for Gilead's HIV treatment and prevention division, said the leap in convenience opens the door for Gilead to partner with healthcare providers, cultural influencers, and media to help rewrite the story around HIV/AIDS. 'The HIV epidemic at the beginning was defined by the white gay community and because of that definition, other communities didn't know that they were at risk,' said Wafer, a nurse practitioner and physician's assistant. 'Today we think of HIV as a transmittable virus that usually happens sexually,' Wafer continued. 'And I think we are trying to make sure that everyone knows that HIV, can be treated and people can live a long line, and also that HIV can be prevented, and we are not trying to be in one space, because whether you're LGBTQIA or not, if you're having sex and you don't know your HIV status, that is something that puts you at risk.' Speaking from a conference room deep in the heart of downtown Chicago, Gilead Sciences made it clear they aren't carrying this message alone. By choosing the NMA as their stage and partnering with Grammy Award-winning artist Raheem DeVaughn, Gilead and its allies are working to break the stigma around HIV/AIDS—and spotlight the healthcare providers and communities most at risk. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Government Efficiency have gutted federal investments in HIV/AIDS testing, treatment, and prevention. The consequences are staggering: Black women now account for more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women, yet make up only 8% of PrEP users. While broader health inequities continue to devastate Black communities—including persistent barriers to quality care—recent years have seen a 16% drop in new HIV infections among Black gay and bisexual men, while cisgender Black women have experienced a sharp increase. Dr. Toyin Nwafor, executive director of U.S. HIV Medical Affairs at Gilead Sciences, said that disparity should serve as a national call to action. 'We must end the stigma that exists around HIV,' said Nwafor, a Chicago-based medical practitioner of more than two decades. 'If you are sexually active you're vulnerable to HIV and your vulnerability may be higher because of where you live, walk, pray, live and love, and in those communities, we need to make sure that that message is heard,' Nwafor continued in expressing what she described as Gilead's overall goal. 'So we're not stigmatizing or targeting individuals,' she said. 'but we're looking at what is happening in the communities that they live to make sure that they have access to treatment, to prevention and to programs that allow them to stay engaged in care.' For many in Black and Brown communities, improving access to care starts with expanding the knowledge base of healthcare providers—especially those who look like them. That's what makes NMA an ideal partner. As the leading voice of African-American physicians nationwide, the organization and its new president, Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr., are launching a year-long campaign titled The New Reconstruction. As part of the campaign, Dr. Mitchell and the NMA are calling for structural reforms that go beyond the exam room—because healthcare justice also means policy justice. This campaign's launch is happening amid Medicaid cuts that would gut the very infrastructure supporting HIV prevention and treatment. With nearly 40% of HIV-positive people dependent on Medicaid, slashing the program would disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities, undermining NMA's progress and that of other campaigns. 'Convening like this, brought together by Gilead Sciences, confirmed the importance of the intersection between media, medical industry and cultural influencers that joined in this partnership to end the HIV epidemic today,' Mitchell said. For DeVaughn—Grammy-nominated singer, chart-topping artist, father and PrEP user —talking about HIV and PrEP isn't just advocacy, it's literally part of the show. At his concerts, DeVaughn carves out time to speak directly to the audience about prevention, because he believes awareness is a form of care—and far too many in his fanbase are left in the dark. 'I've had direct contact with over 40,000 Black women,' DeVaughn said. 'Being able to talk about the statistics around HIV, how Black women—and Black and Brown folks in general—are disproportionately affected, and how prevention, PrEP, and breaking stigma can make a difference, is powerful. People need to know their options.' In DeVaughn's hometown of Washington, D.C., once one of the epicenters of the HIV epidemic in the '90s and early 2000s, the story is layered. HIV transmission rates among white gay men have dropped significantly, thanks to widespread PrEP use, access to care, and strong local prevention programs. Overall, the District has seen an 86% decrease in new diagnoses since the early 2000s, including in Black and Brown communities. But those declines still lag far behind the rates seen among white gay men—a reflection of the stigma and systemic neglect that persist in communities of color. DeVaughn said this neglect can be addressed by normalizing conversations at home, in providers' offices and in the community at-large. 'Regardless of your religious faith, your background,...your age, these are conversations that we have to have.' DeVaughn said. 'Generationally, we talk about dieting, Diabetes and sugar levels and I think we have to normalize the conversation about HIV.' Far too many Black and Brown Americans miss the opportunity to talk about PrEP and HIV prevention when they get their annual physical. Wafer said that has to change. 'It is important for healthcare providers to know who they are talking to, what they need and have a unique ability to translate the science in an understandable way,' she said. Nwafor, whose professional experience includes academic research and stints in inpatient and outpatient settings, a large public hospital, a university hospital, and a veterans hospital, expressed similar thoughts while stressing the importance of health care providers centering their patients' lived-experiences. For Black and Brown Americans, those experiences could have included moments of trauma and far too often, neglect, Nwafor said. 'What was clear over those past 20 to 25 years is that regardless of the patient population, regardless of the payer mix, there remained existing disparities in access to good quality care and the outcomes that disproportionately impact our communities, the Black community,' Nwafor said. With Yeztugo now available in pharmacies across the country, this twice-yearly injection offers something many people have long needed: privacy, convenience, and a way to sidestep the daily pill stigma. It could be a game-changer—especially for sexually active women and men navigating relationships where trust is policed and sexual orientation is often misread. What's clear is this: PrEP—regardless of how you take it—says nothing about your orientation. It says everything about your self-preservation. In a world where social media has normalized lip fillers, Botox, and testosterone shots, surely we can normalize two injections a year to protect against HIV. This moment demands a reset. The virus has moved on from the narratives we built in the '80s and '90s—but our prevention playbook hasn't. If Yeztugo lives up to its promise, it could finally help those most at risk feel seen, protected, and prioritized—not just pathologized.
