SRINAGAR: The United Nations agency combating HIV/AIDS has warned that the United States’ pause in foreign assistance funding has created “confusion” and disruption in critical community-based HIV prevention efforts, despite a waiver allowing life-saving treatment to continue, a United Nationals News statement said.
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Christine Stegling, speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, emphasised that while the waiver ensures continued medication for 20 million of the 30 million people living with HIV worldwide, the funding freeze still threatens vital community programmes. She cautioned that governments might prioritise maintaining treatment over preventing new infections, which could jeopardise long-term efforts to combat the disease.
The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a key pillar of the global HIV response, financing 70 per cent of international efforts. Since its inception in 2003, it has saved over 26 million lives across 55 countries. However, the funding pause has led to uncertainty, particularly at the community level, where critical services such as transport for treatment and the employment of health workers remain affected.
UNAIDS highlighted that many drop-in health centres are at risk of closure, and contracts for outreach workers may be terminated, depriving vulnerable populations of essential services. In Ethiopia alone, 5,000 public health worker contracts and 10,000 data clerk positions have been terminated due to the funding disruption, according to Stegling.
The pause has also resulted in cuts to services essential for women, young girls, and high-risk populations, including condom distribution, HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and support for gender-based violence survivors. UNAIDS warned that if PEPFAR is not re-authorised beyond 2025 and alternative funding is not secured, the consequences could be devastating, with AIDS-related deaths projected to increase by 400 per cent, amounting to 6.3 million lives lost.
Despite the challenges, UNAIDS has pledged to continue efforts to ensure uninterrupted access to life-saving services during the 90-day funding pause.
