Thursday January 30, 2025 | TheNewsDESK

The United States, US, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has approved an Emergency Humanitarian Waiver that ensures continued access to HIV treatment for millions of people globally, including in Nigeria.

The waiver, announced by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), allows treatment programs funded by the US government to proceed across 55 countries despite a recent funding pause.

UNAIDS emphasized that more than 20 million people—two-thirds of all individuals receiving HIV treatment globally—are supported by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the world’s leading HIV initiative.

The decision comes amid concerns over an executive order by the US Department of State that mandated a 90-day pause on foreign development assistance.

The order, one of the first major foreign policy moves by the new administration, called for a review of funding efficiency and alignment with US foreign policy objectives.

However, the newly approved waiver ensures that core life-saving medical services, including HIV treatment, can continue. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima welcomed the decision, stating, “This urgent decision recognizes PEPFAR’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope to people living with HIV.”

Despite the waiver, concerns remain over the broader impact of the funding suspension. UNAIDS has pledged to work with governments, partners, and communities to mitigate disruptions to essential HIV services.

It also urged President Donald J. Trump’s administration to maintain the US’s leadership in the global HIV response.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier expressed deep concern over the funding pause, warning that it could endanger the health of millions.

WHO noted that HIV programs in low- and middle-income countries provide life-saving therapy to over 30 million people worldwide, and disruptions could lead to a resurgence of infections and deaths.

WHO cautioned that prolonged funding cuts could roll back decades of progress, potentially returning the global HIV response to the crisis levels of the 1980s and 1990s. The agency called on the US government to grant further exemptions to safeguard HIV prevention and care efforts.

With 39.9 million people living with HIV globally as of the end of 2023, stakeholders continue to advocate for sustained funding to prevent setbacks in the fight against the epidemic.
|FirstNEWS|