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cover of episode Losing years of progress against HIV, and farming plastic on Mars

Losing years of progress against HIV, and farming plastic on Mars

2025/7/3
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Science Magazine Podcast
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John Cohen
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Robin Wordsworth
S
Sarah Crespi
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Sarah Crespi: 本期播客主要讨论美国国际开发署对非洲国家控制艾滋病毒的援助，以及特朗普政府削减援助后对这些国家的影响。我们将关注莱索托和斯威士兰这两个艾滋病毒感染率最高的国家，了解援助削减对当地治疗和预防工作的影响，特别是对孕妇、儿童和青少年的影响。 John Cohen: 我前往莱索托和斯威士兰进行实地调查，发现美国援助的削减对当地的艾滋病防治工作造成了严重影响。在过去20年中，这两个国家在美国政府（特别是PEPFAR项目）的支持下，在控制艾滋病疫情方面取得了显著进展。PEPFAR和全球基金通过降低药价和提供便利的渠道，使全球艾滋病毒感染者都能获得治疗，从而控制了疫情。然而，现在这些项目正在失去资金，导致检测和治疗服务中断，特别是对孕妇和青少年的影响尤为严重。我亲眼看到，由于缺乏检测和治疗，母婴传播的风险再次上升，这让人非常痛心。我呼吁大家关注这一问题，并采取行动，阻止情况进一步恶化。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter details the significant setbacks caused by the Trump administration's cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), particularly affecting HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in Lesotho and Eswatini. The consequences include shortages of tests and treatments, impacting pregnant women, children, and teens the most.
  • Significant success in curbing HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Eswatini was achieved through U.S. aid, particularly PEPFAR funding.
  • The Trump administration's cuts to USAID severely impacted HIV/AIDS programs, leading to shortages of tests, treatments, and staff.
  • The most vulnerable populations affected were pregnant women, children, and teenagers, with a potential return to high mother-to-child transmission rates.
  • The cuts reversed years of progress, pushing the countries back towards the situation before PEPFAR intervention.

Shownotes Transcript

First up on the podcast, U.S. aid helped two African countries rein in HIV. Then came President Donald Trump. Senior News Correspondent Jon Cohen talks with producer Kevin McLean about how in Lesotho and Eswatini, treatment and prevention cutbacks) are hitting pregnant people, children, and teens especially hard.

 

This story is part of a series about the impacts of U.S. funding cuts on global health, supported by the Pulitzer Center.

 

Next on the show, host Sarah Crespi is joined by Robin Wordsworth), the Gordon McKay Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. They discuss the challenges and potential of microbes) to grow plastics, drugs, and food on the surface of Mars or other bodies in the Solar System.

 

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy).

 

About the *Science *Podcast)

 

Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kevin McLean; Jon Cohen

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