Trump pauses disbursement of global HIV treatment funds

The Trump administration has paused funding for a crucial HIV treatment program in Africa and developing countries for 90 days, according to a memo obtained by The New York Times.

The directive stems from President Trump’s executive order on foreign aid, in which all government divisions with foreign development assistance programs have been ordered to stop disbursing funds. The initial review of foreign aid is intended to be completed within 85 days; however, final decisions might take up to 180 days.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a $7.5 billion program under the governance of the State Department, was due for a five-year reauthorization in 2023. After avoiding a Republican effort to end the program, it was renewed for one year, according to The Times.

Many public health and development experts are dismayed at this hold on funding.

“Any prolonged pause in funding could disrupt HIV treatment programs, leading to treatment interruptions, and the rise of drug-resistant HIV,” Jirair Ratevosian, Ph.D., who served as chief of staff for PEPFAR during the Biden administration, told The Times. “That’s playing with fire, risking progress that we’ve made over decades to control the HIV epidemic.” Ratevosian added that resistant strains of the virus that may emerge in other nations would also be of great concern to Americans.

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