UNAIDS director proposes that President Trump make an 'amazing deal' to end HIV

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UNAIDS director proposes that President Trump make an 'amazing deal' to end HIV

2025-03-24 22:15 Last Updated At：22:32

GENEVA (AP) —

The head of the U.N. AIDS agency said Monday that the sudden loss of American money has been “devastating” for efforts to stop HIV and will cost many lives of the world’s most vulnerable people. But she also proposed an “amazing deal” for U.S. President Donald Trump that she said could result in “the end of AIDS.”

At a news briefing in Geneva, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said that the deal would involve Trump enabling the U.S. company Gilead to produce and license its “magical” prevention drug lenacapavir across the world to the millions of people who need it.

Lenacapavir, sold as Sunlenca, has been shown through twice-yearly injections to completely prevent HIV infection in women and which works nearly as well in men.

“President Trump likes deals,” Byanyimasaid, acknowledging that it was President George W. Bush who first started paying for the widespread roll-out of HIV drugs more than two decades ago.

“It could be President Trump, another Republican president, who leads the prevention revolution towards the end of AIDS,” Byanyima said.

She added that the deal would result not only in profits for Gilead and create jobs for Americans, but save millions of lives in poorer countries.

Byanyima said that American money made up about 35% of UNAIDS’ core budget last year but it was unclear whether that might be restored for next year. She said the agency was in talks with the U.S. government but was also preparing for a worst-case scenario, in which there was no funding available from the U.S.

Byanyima said it was unlikely any other donors would be able to fill that vacuum, adding that European donors have told the agency they would be cutting back on their support in order to redirect their funds to defense and other priorities.

Byanyima said that unless support to HIV efforts is restored, there could be more than 6.3 million additional deaths in the next four years and an additional 2,000 people per day becoming infected.

She acknowledged that there has been some valid criticism regarding how HIV aid has been delivered, calling it “an opportunity to rethink and develop more efficient ways of delivering life-saving support.”

Byanyima also said African countries were trying to become more self-sufficient and that even some of the poorest nations were now “trying to stretch very weak, fragile health systems to absorb people living with HIV.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Canadian Prime Minister Carney calls Trump's auto tariffs a 'direct attack' on his country

2025-03-27 09:09 Last Updated At：09:12

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's auto tariffs are a “direct attack” on his country and that the trade war is hurting Americans, noting that American consumer confidence is at a multi-year low.

Trump said earlier Wednesday that he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports and, to underscore his intention, he stated “This is permanent.”

“This is a very direct attack,” Carney responded. “We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies. We will defend our country.”

Carney said he needs to see the details of Trump's executive order before taking retaliatory measures. He called it unjustified and said he will leave the election campaign to go to Ottawa on Thursday to chair his special Cabinet committee on U.S. relations.

Carney earlier announced a CA$2 billion ($1.4 billion) “strategic response fund” that will protect Canadian auto jobs affected by Trump’s tariffs.

Autos are Canada’s second largest export, and Carney noted it employs 125,000 Canadians directly and almost another 500,000 in related industries.

“Canada will be there for auto workers,” he said.

Trump previously granted a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers.

The president has plunged the U.S. into a global trade war — all while on-again, off-again new levies continue to escalate uncertainty.

The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its U.S consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9, the fourth straight monthly decline and its lowest reading since January of 2021.

“His trade war is hurting American consumers and workers and it will hurt more. I see that American consumer confidence is at a multi-year low,” Carney said earlier while campaigning in Windsor, Ontario ahead of Canada’s April 28 election.

The tax hike on auto imports starting in April means automakers could face higher costs and lower sales.

Trump previously 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products — as well as all of America’s trading partners — on April 2.

“He wants to break us so America can own us,” Carney said. “And it will never ever happen because we just don’t look out for ourselves we look out for each other.”

Carney, former two-time central banker, made the earlier comments while campaigning against the backdrop of the Ambassador Bridge, which is considered the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing, carrying 25% of all trade between the two countries. It plays an especially important role in auto manufacturing.

Carney said the bridge carries $140 billion Canadian dollars ($98 billion) in goods every year and CA$400 million ($281 million) per day.

"Now those numbers and the jobs and the paychecks that depend on that are in question," Carney said. “The relationship between Canada and the United States has changed. We did not change it.”

In the auto sector, parts can go back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border several times before being fully assembled in Ontario or Michigan.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, whose province has the bulk of Canada’s auto industry, Ford said auto plants on both sides the border will shut simultaneously if the tariffs go ahead.

“President is calling it Liberation Day. I call it Termination Day for American workers. I know President Trump likes tell people ’Your fired!” I didn’t think he meant U.S. auto workers when he said it,” Ford said.

Trump has declared a trade war on his northern neighbor and continues to call for Canada to become the 51st state, a position that has infuriated Canadians.

Canadians booed Trump repeatedly at a Carney election rally in Kitchener, Ontario.

The new prime minister, sworn in March 14, still hasn’t had a phone call with Trump. It is unusual for a U.S. president and Canadian prime minister to go so long without talking after a new leader takes office.

“It would be appropriate that the president and I speak given the action that he has taken. I’m sure that will happen soon,” Carney said.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the tariffs will damage American auto workers just as they will damage Canadian auto workers.

"The message to President Trump should be to knock it off," Poilievre said. “He's changed his mind before. He's done this twice, puts them on, takes them off. We can suspect that may well happen again.”