Dmytro Sherembey, a Ukrainian man who had lived with HIV for 24 years, credited the United States agency for international development (USAID) with saving his life and ensuring the survival of thousands of HIV-positive Ukrainians. “I’m alive thanks to USAID,” Sherembey was quoted as saying to the BBC.
Sherembey, the head of 100 per cent Life, the country’s largest patient-led organisation, voiced concerns over the decision by US President Donald Trump to pause nearly all foreign assistance for 90 days, casting the future of USAID into doubt.
Sherembey condemned the freeze, calling it “barbaric” and adding, “We had returned to the Stone Age.”
“Every second HIV-positive person in Ukraine was identified thanks to this programme,” Sherembey had told the BBC. For him and thousands of others, the stakes were high. “If my hospital ran out of this medication, I would have had to search for it elsewhere,” he explained, stressing that options were limited. “You couldn’t simply go to a pharmacy and buy these drugs. You couldn’t buy them on the black market. HIV-positive people here had no alternatives.”
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, warehouses storing vital HIV medication were bombed. USAID stepped in to provide emergency replacements, ensuring continuity of care for those in need. However, Sherembey expressed concern that the very assistance from the American people could be halted by the decision of one person.
Trump, a long-time critic of foreign aid, had claimed USAID was run by “radical left lunatics” and accused it of “tremendous fraud” without providing evidence. The funding suspension had already had significant consequences worldwide, affecting health services in countries like Afghanistan, where USAID was a major donor.
For Sherembey, the impact had already been felt. “The future appeared bleak, and the impact on patients was massive,” he said. The freeze could deprive those who relied on USAID-funded programmes of life-saving medication, leaving them with few alternatives.
As reports suggested plans to merge USAID with the state department and staff could be placed on leave, Sherembey’s concerns were echoed by others worldwide, including activists in Iran and students in Egypt, whose futures were now uncertain.
Reports suggest the Trump administration plans to merge USAID with the state department. Secretary of state Marco Rubio has declared himself acting head of the agency, and thousands of staff worldwide could soon be placed on leave.
The recently established department of government efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk‘s cost-cutting task force, has identified USAID as a target for budget reductions.