Grade 3 of 5: Serious Rights Violation
PEPFAR Freeze: HIV/AIDS Treatment Cut for 20 Million People Across Africa
The administration froze PEPFAR on Day One, cutting antiretroviral therapy for an estimated 20 million HIV-positive people in sub-Saharan Africa. PEPFAR funded 70% of the global HIV response. Health workers reported clinics closing, drug supplies running out, and patients dying within weeks of the freeze. A Lancet HIV modelling study projects 0.77 to 2.93 million additional HIV-related deaths in 2025-2030 if PEPFAR support is discontinued alongside wider aid cuts, and far fewer if it is reinstated.