The organisations medmissio, Aktionsbündnis gegen AIDS, Misereor and Deutsche Aidshilfe are very concerned about the decision by US President Donald Trump's administration to freeze all funding for development cooperation and humanitarian aid with immediate effect. This abrupt funding freeze particularly affects people living with HIV who are dependent on antiretroviral drugs and people who are being treated for tuberculosis with medication. The radical dismantling of USAID recently initiated by Elon Musk is exacerbating this situation considerably.
More than 20 million people with HIV worldwide depend on the US PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) programme to continue their life-saving treatment. For many, the sudden stop in funding means the immediate end of their treatment. HIV clinics in South Africa have already had to close and the patients affected can no longer receive their urgently needed medication. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an urgent warning about the catastrophic consequences: Interrupting HIV treatment can lead to a rapid deterioration in health, the development of resistance and an increase in new infections.
The instruction to stop all work immediately affects numerous healthcare providers who implement programmes in the areas of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and numerous other diseases with US funding. Many organisations that depend on PEPFAR funding will be forced to end their programmes abruptly. This is particularly fatal for countries with weak health systems, where PEPFAR not only funds medicines, but also the salaries of over 270,000 health professionals worldwide. In Mozambique, more than 1,000 doctors and 800 nurses are paid by PEPFAR - a loss of this support could lead to a complete collapse of healthcare provision.
Programmes need long-term funding security
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has granted a limited "humanitarian exemption" for the provision of HIV medication. However, it remains unclear whether prevention measures such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and diagnostic procedures will continue to be funded. Without access to preventive measures and tests, there is a threat of an increase in new HIV infections - and the risk of expectant mothers transmitting the HI virus to their children is also increasing. There is a threat of a return to the times when the HIV pandemic claimed millions of lives. This threat is made much more likely by the short-term closure of the US government agency USAID.
"The WHO and UNAIDS warn that the Trump administration's current decisions could undo decades of progress in HIV work. Suspending treatment for three months can lead to irreversible damage. If treatment is interrupted, the risk of HIV transmission to babies during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding also increases - with far-reaching consequences for global health. The global fight against HIV/AIDS and other serious infectious diseases urgently needs secure long-term funding and appropriate government authorities and programmes," says Tilman Rüppel, board member of Action against AIDS.
Other vital measures are also affected
In addition to the dramatic consequences for people with HIV, the stop also affects other health programmes. For example, vital vaccination campaigns for mothers and children will be interrupted, programmes to combat bird flu and Marburg fever will be discontinued and refugee clinics in Thailand will be closed. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has already had to close health centres for tens of thousands of refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border. The patients affected - including pregnant women and seriously ill people - lost their healthcare overnight.
"A nurse from Kenya who works in HIV and tuberculosis care there told us that the funding freeze has meant that she can only be paid until the end of the month and then has to stop working," explains Michael Kuhnert, head of the medmissio office, adding: "We are already seeing the devastating effects of these political decisions on our partners on the ground, whose years of medical work for sick people are being threatened from one day to the next."
Urgent appeal to politicians
Sylvia Urban, member of the board of Deutsche Aidshilfe, makes it clear: "The United States spends less than 1 per cent of its federal budget on all foreign aid. Even this relatively small proportion saves millions of lives every year and makes a significant contribution to the stability and health of entire nations. The Trump administration's decision is therefore not only short-sighted, but also dangerous. It not only jeopardises those affected locally, but also has a global impact on public health."
Medmissio, Action against AIDS, Misereor and Deutsche Aidshilfe are calling for the immediate withdrawal of the funding freeze, the unrestricted continuation of PEPFAR and other vital health programmes and the restoration of USAID. "The international community must unite in protest against this fatal course of action by the US government. Lives must not become the plaything of political decisions," emphasises Ellen Schmitt, Health Officer at Misereor.
Further contacts:
medmissio: Tilman Rüppel, Mail: tilman.rueppel@medmissio.de, Mobile: +49 931 80485 32
Action against AIDS: Peter Wiessner, Mail: wiessner@aktionsbuendnis-aids.de, Mobile: +49 176 82 188 269
