The United States government has paused its support for HIV treatment in Nigeria and other developing countries following an executive order by President Donald Trump.
The US State Department has halted the disbursement of funds from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program providing HIV treatment in Africa and other developing regions, for at least 90 days.
The suspension stems from an executive order on foreign aid signed by President Trump on his first day in office, instructing all government agencies overseeing foreign development programs to stop fund disbursement. Consequently, nearly all US global health funding was immediately frozen.
According to NPR, PEPFAR has ceased operations temporarily and could remain inactive for at least three months unless the program is granted an exemption in the coming weeks. With an annual budget of $6.5 billion, PEPFAR provides HIV/AIDS treatment to over 20.6 million people, contributing significantly to saving lives and curbing the spread of the virus.
A US State Department fact sheet revealed that PEPFAR has saved an estimated 26 million lives since its establishment. However, the agency defended the halt, stating, “The United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.”
Public health experts have expressed concerns that the Trump administration may consider terminating the program entirely. However, some remain hopeful that the appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State could positively influence PEPFAR’s future due to his past support for the initiative.
Impact On Nigeria
Nigeria, with nearly two million people living with HIV, is heavily dependent on PEPFAR for life-saving medications and healthcare infrastructure support. As one of the countries with the highest HIV burden globally, Nigeria has received over $6 billion in PEPFAR funding for its HIV/AIDS response over the years.
A prolonged suspension or permanent halt of PEPFAR funding could severely impact efforts to control HIV in Nigeria, threatening progress made in combating the epidemic.
