Report Links Trump-Era Funding Cuts to Closure of HIV Treatment Sites and Service Disruptions
A study by amfAR found that more than 1,700 HIV treatment sites were closed after U.S. funding cuts, leading to reduced services for vulnerable groups and increased risk of mother-to-child transmission.
A new amfAR report released ahead of the International AIDS Conference in Rio documented the impact of reductions in U.S. global health funding, including cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and broader USAID budget cuts made during the Trump administration. The survey of 166 organizations across 46 countries found that over 1,700 treatment sites have closed worldwide.
"That's places where people can get treatment, preventative medications, etc.; 73 percent of groups that provide services to particularly vulnerable groups—sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who use injection drugs—report that they have stopped providing at least one type of service," said Dr. Atul Gawande, former USAID Global Health Assistant Administrator.
"More than 63 percent of groups that provide medication to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission have reported disruptions," he added, noting a reported 50 % increase in HIV rates among mothers and a 300 % rise in untreated pregnant women at a network of neonatal clinics in Africa.
Gawande emphasized that the closures affect not only clinic access but also testing, contact tracing, and prevention efforts, which are essential to curb a resurgence of HIV. He warned that reduced testing and preventive measures could lead to higher infection rates, especially among children.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima was quoted saying the challenge is no longer scientific but political, highlighting that policy choices are undermining progress toward ending AIDS.
The State Department responded to the study by questioning its methodology, arguing that lifesaving treatments continue to be delivered through alternative partnerships and memoranda of understanding. Gawande countered that these smaller-scale arrangements lack the dedicated resources needed to reach marginalized populations.
The discussion also touched on the concurrent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which Gawande described as the third-largest in history and hampered by diminished U.S. health infrastructure.
The findings underscore concerns that recent U.S. funding decisions may be reversing gains made in global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.