A global crisis is unfolding as the US funding freeze severely disrupts HIV treatment and prevention efforts worldwide. Clinics are closing, health workers are losing jobs, and life-saving services are grinding to a halt, according to a new UNAIDS situation report.
Reports from 55 countries detail the devastation. There are 42 projects funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Additionally, 13 projects have partial US support. An emergency waiver was issued in late January to resume “life-saving” humanitarian aid. Still, confusion over its implementation has led to continued disruptions, according to UNAIDS.
KEY SERVICES UNDER THREAT
The latest UNAIDS report, covering the week of February 17-21, reveals that while some clinical services have resumed, critical components remain ineligible for funding. These include HIV prevention programs and community-led services vital for high-risk groups like adolescent girls, young women, and key populations. Data collection and analysis efforts have also been hindered, further weakening global HIV prevention and treatment strategies.
INCREASED PATIENT WAIT TIMES, OVERBURDENED STAFF
Health workers face mounting workloads, and patients endure long delays for life-saving care. The funding freeze has disrupted supply chains, pushing vulnerable communities into deeper health crises. UNAIDS warns that US-backed programs focused on gender equality and transgender health may not resume, exacerbating disparities.
HEAVY RELIANCE ON US FUNDING
The US provided two-thirds of international financing for HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries before the freeze. It covered more than half of HIV medicine purchases in nations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. The 20 most affected countries include Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, and El Salvador, notes the UNAIDS report.
SERVICES COME TO A STANDSTILL
Civil society and community-led interventions are crucial to combating HIV, yet many have been forced to shut down. Some stark examples include:
- Mozambique: PEPFAR-funded community workers and test counselors remain unpaid, halting HIV testing and patient enrollments.
- Tanzania: Peer educators and health workers have received temporary job termination notices.
- Rwanda: Prevention services for at-risk populations like young women, sex workers, and gay men remain unfunded.
- South Africa: US-funded clinics supporting gay men, such as Engage Men’s Health, have closed.
- Ghana: All PEPFAR-funded civil society organizations have suspended HIV services.
A CALL FOR URGENT ACTION
UNAIDS stresses the need for immediate funding restoration to prevent a massive backslide in global HIV/AIDS progress. Without urgent intervention, millions risk losing access to essential care, undoing decades of hard-fought gains against the epidemic.
