This past week, in line with U.S. President Donald Trump‘s executive order to reevaluate and realign foreign aid, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is facing a funding freeze. PEPFAR, which was launched in 2003 during President George W. Bush’s administration in Malawi to combat HIV/AIDS, has saved over 25 million lives worldwide. This funding freeze follows a statement from the Department of State regarding foreign assistance programmes funded by or through the Department and USAID.
While several funding programmes are affected, PEPFAR is particularly crucial to Africa, where millions rely on it for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. Here is what you should know about the programme:
The program has provided antiretroviral therapy for over 1.8 million people in Mozambique and close to 1.9 million people in Nigeria, funded HIV testing and prevention services and supported local healthcare systems.
According to the Centre for Global Development, PEPFAR “has been hailed as one of the most effective foreign aid programs in history.”
PEPFAR is currently providing lifesaving HIV treatment for 20.6 million people, including 566,000 children.
One of the significant successes of the program is its ability to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
For Nigeria, following the statement from the U.S. Department of State, the funding freeze:
Threatens access to life-saving treatment, jeopardises efforts to curb HIV transmission, and could reverse progress made over the last two decades.
Could disrupt malaria and tuberculosis programs, reduce maternal and child healthcare services, and even affect efforts to combat emerging diseases, with fewer people affording healthcare without international aid.
Could force many HIV-positive people who rely on PEPFAR-funded treatment to stop their medication, leading to severe health complications and increased transmission rates.
Children who are not immediately put on HIV medication face a significantly increased risk of death between the ages of two and six months.
Although countries like Egypt and Isreal have been granted waivers, “within thirty (30) days, the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (S/P) or its designate shall develop appropriate review standards and collaborate with the Director of the Office of Foreign Assistance (F), the Office of Budget and Planning (BP), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and/or other departments and agencies as appropriate to ensure that all foreign assistance is aligned with President Trump’s foreign policy agenda and that data regarding all foreign assistance spending in the future is aggregated and inputted into a comprehensive internal Department repository,” according to the statement.
The status of the foreign aid shall be finally aligned in 180 days.
You can read the full statement:
FULL TEXT:
Executive Order on Review of Foreign Assistance Programs
1. (U) Consistent with the President’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, this ALDAC pauses all new obligations of funding, pending a review, for foreign assistance…
— Nick Schifrin (@nickschifrin) January 24, 2025
