US Funding Cuts Slash Global HIV Treatment, Close 1,700 Clinics

A report by HIV charity amfAR, based on a survey of 166 organisations in 46 countries that received U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding, found that cuts made by the Trump administration caused widespread disruption. More than 1,700 HIV clinics were closed and over 16,000 staff members lost their jobs. About three‑quarters of the surveyed groups stopped services for high‑risk populations such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people and people who inject drugs.

The cuts also sharply reduced paediatric treatment. Data show roughly 77,000 fewer children received U.S.–supported HIV care in the year to October 2025, a 14 percent decline, with South Africa experiencing the largest drop of around 30,000 children. UNAIDS warned that if the reductions become permanent, the world could see an additional 6.6 million HIV infections and 4.2 million AIDS deaths by 2029. The United States is not the only donor reducing aid; France, Germany and the United Kingdom have also scaled back assistance, adding pressure on health programmes across Africa and other regions.