African-led HIV Control Working Group urges Immediate Action Amidst US Funding Freeze

The African-led HIV Control Working Group (AHCWG), a think tank of African HIV and policy experts has lamented President Donald Trump’s executive order pausing all foreign aid funding for the 90 days.

The group whose mandate is to project an African voice on the efficiency and sustainability of HIV response, noted a direct impact of the order on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) an initiative, launched in 2004 in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, saving over 26 million lives and providing treatment to more than 20 million individuals globally, particularly in African nations.

The statement noted that “The impact of the Executive Order on PEPFAR-supported programs is like dropping a bombshell. This one event that has destroyed decades of trust and security among PLHIV and threatened fragile health systems built by PEPFAR that supported the response to COVID-19, Ebola, and recently the Mpox outbreak.”

The group insisted that the abrupt cessation of funding threatens the health of millions reliant on these resources for managing HIV infections and preventing new transmissions, particularly among high-risk populations.

“While we recognize the power and rights of Governments to make decisions regarding their foreign policies, decisions that impact the health of millions of people around the world must be made in the context of a clearly defined plan that fully considers all the life-threatening implications.” the statement added.

The African-led HIV Control Working Group (AHCWG) has therefore called on the US government to Immediately restore all PEPFAR and related U.S. government-funded programs that provide essential HIV services globally with a transparent update regarding future funding post-re-evaluation of foreign policy.

Meanwhile the group has urged African governments to recognize the lack of secure commitments from external funders and take proactive steps to ensure health security through domestic funding.

AHCWG further called for an enhanced cooperation between global stakeholders and African governments to build healthcare independence all persons living with the infection.