WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to a new study, around 77,000 fewer children around the world received HIV treatment supported by the United States in the year ending October 2025 compared with the previous year, due to cuts and changes to U.S. foreign aid under the Trump administration.
The study is the first to show the global impact of disruptions to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), one of the world's largest HIV/AIDS programs. Researchers warned that the effects could last for years.
The researchers surveyed organizations that received PEPFAR funding to provide HIV services. Of the groups contacted, 166 organizations from 46 countries responded between November and April, and shared details about their funding, staffing and services.
An analysis of U.S. government data showed that U.S.-supported HIV treatment for children dropped by about 14% compared with the previous year. Researchers said more country-level data is needed to fully understand the impact.
'These are signals, not a verdict. But children cannot wait,' cautioned study co-author Kenneth Ngure, professor of global health at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
The study also found that some organizations that still receive U.S. funding have changed their programs to comply with the Trump administration's policies on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), reproductive rights and gender-affirming care.
HIV prevention programs were also heavily affected. Spending on prevention dropped by more than half in one year, while funding for condoms and lubricants was almost eliminated. Even some organizations that kept U.S. funding had to stop providing services to high-risk groups, including sex workers, gay men and trans people. Researchers warned that the cuts could undo decades of progress made toward ending the global AIDS epidemic by 2030.
'It's like bailing out a sinking ship without actually patching the hole,' said Elise Lankiewicz, a policy associate at amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, which carried out the survey. 'You can't cut out certain awards without seeing a ripple effect throughout PEPFAR. What's left is a model that's heavily focused on treatment, which I think is absolutely necessary, but insufficient for controlling the HIV response.'
Although the Trump administration said HIV treatment and programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission would be protected, 63% of the organizations surveyed reported disruptions to these services. Overall, 43% of the organizations said they had permanently stopped at least one HIV prevention activity, raising concerns that years of progress in fighting HIV could be lost.
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