The fight against HIV is at risk of taking a hit given the uncertainty surrounding PEPFAR - the US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.
After taking control of the White House, Donald Trump and his administration have decided to freeze foreign aid funding, including PEPFAR, "cutting off HIV treatment for 20.6 million people" around the world. According to a statement released by IAS - International AIDS Society - on 29 January 2025, "clinic staff were sent home and the distribution of ARVs purchased with US funds was halted".
Despite a temporary waiver of some aspects of this freeze, issued by new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 28 January, it is clear that many uncertainties remain, especially since not all existing services have been restored.
IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn stated that "PEPFAR's continued and uninterrupted support for all HIV treatment and prevention services must be fully restored", a position supported by people living with HIV and most stakeholders.
Will this opposition from around the world really change anything? Trump has made so many controversial statements and decrees that no one can say today exactly what direction this showdown will take. But the fight continues and nothing is lost in advance against Trump's assault.
PEPFAR in Brief
PEPFAR is a global health funding initiative launched in 2003 by U.S. President George W. Bush to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic around the world. With more than $110 billion mobilized, it represents the second-largest investment by any country - after the COVID-19 pandemic - to combat a single disease.
Implemented in more than 50 countries, PEPFAR has saved more than 25 million lives, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.
In recent years, members of the Republican Party have begun to criticize the program, a position that explains the Trump administration's decision to halt it today: "America First".