The Mo -agency of the UN Agency dedicated to ending the disease occurred in response to an immediate 90 -day financing pause for all foreign assistance established in an executive order of President Trump, including the emergency plan of the president of The United States for AIDS relief (Pepfar).
Pepfar is the world leader in the world that directly supports more than 20 million people living with HIV, which represents two thirds of all people who receive HIV treatment worldwide.
The exemption approves the continuation or the resumption of “humanitarian assistance that save life”, which applies to medical and medicine services to save livesincluding HIV treatment, as well as the necessary supplies to provide such help.
‘Critical paper’
“Unaids welcomes this exemption from the United States government, which guarantees that millions of people living with HIV can continue receiving HIV medications that save lives during the evaluation of foreign development assistance from the United States “Onusida’s executive director Winnie Byanyima said.
“This urgent decision recognizes Pepfar’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope for people who live with HIV.“
The development of development assistance for the “evaluation of programmatic efficiency and coherence with the foreign policy of the United States” was one of the first important foreign policy decisions of the new administration.
Unusida will continue efforts to ensure that all people living or affected by HIV are treated and that other key components of Pepfar’s salvation efforts, including the provision of services and services for the prevention of HIV, attention and Support to orphans and vulnerable children continue.
Immediate impact
Previously, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) expressed a deep concern about the implications of the financing pause for HIV programs in low and medium -sized countries.
These programs provide access to HIV therapy that save lives to more than 30 million people worldwide. Worldwide, 39.9 million people lived with HIV at the end of 2023.
“These measures, if they last, could lead to increases in new infections and deaths, reversing decades of progress and potentially leading the world to the eighties and nineties when millions died of HIV every year worldwide, including many in the United States.“said who in a statement issued before the emergency exemption of the Secretary of State was announced.
More than 26 million saved lives
Pepfar has been a flagship initiative of the GOBAL response of HIV since its establishment more than 20 years ago, which emphasized.
Any financing pause to Pepfar would have a direct impact on millions of lives that depend on the predictable supply of a safe and effective antiretroviral treatment.
Pepfar works in more than 50 countries around the world and has saved more than 26 million lives in the last two decades. Currently, Pepfar is providing HIV treatment for more than 20 million people living with HIV worldwide, including 566,000 children under 15 years.
Growing self -sufficiency
Who said that during the past year, Pepfar and Partners, including who, “have been Work on sustainability plans with countries for greater property of the country and a reduced donor support up to 2030. “
A sudden and prolonged stop for programs would hinder a transition managed and puts millions the lives of millions.
The agency said it would continue to support Pepfar and other partners, as well as national governments, in the management of change processes effectively to minimize the impact on people living with HIV.
