The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion”

The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion” in community HIV prevention work, the UN agency to combat AIDS (UNAIDS) said on February 7. The waiver allows the continuation or resumption of “life-saving humanitarian assistance” including HIV treatment. That means 20 million people living with HIV who depend on US aid for their treatment can continue to receive medication.

The HIV global response is heavily dependent on funds from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief which finances 70 per cent of the overall AIDS response and directly supports more than 20 million people living with HIV. UNAIDS says it will continue efforts to ensure that during the 90-day pause, all people affected by HIV continue to access life-saving services.