US cuts to HIV programs in sub-Saharan Africa pose global risk, experts say

Experts say recent US funding cuts to PEPFAR and USAID have reduced HIV treatment, prevention, and research support in sub‑Saharan Africa, risking interruptions to antiretroviral supplies and the halting of some clinical trials.

US funding for HIV programs in sub‑Saharan Africa has been reduced, according to experts and reporting. The changes have affected support from PEPFAR and USAID for treatment, prevention, and research. Health specialists report that interruptions to antiretroviral supplies have led some patients to ration medication, which can increase the risk of antiviral resistance. Several research projects and clinical trials have been halted or scaled back as a result. Key reported points: - Funding cuts to PEPFAR and USAID are reported to have reduced support for HIV treatment, prevention, and research in sub‑Saharan Africa. - Clinicians and researchers report patients rationing antiretroviral drugs, which experts say can raise the likelihood of drug‑resistance mutations. - Some US‑funded and other research projects in South Africa and elsewhere have been paused or scaled down, affecting ongoing vaccine and prevention studies. - International groups such as Unitaid have provided targeted funds to expand access to the long‑acting PrEP drug lenacapavir in South Africa and Zambia, and some vaccine trials continue. Summary: The reported funding shortfalls threaten continuity of care and could reduce research capacity and prevention efforts, with particular risks for vulnerable groups and limited options for later‑line treatments in many countries. Unitaid’s targeted funding and ongoing vaccine trials offer partial mitigation, but broader outcomes and the longer‑term effects of the cuts are undetermined at this time.