31 March 2025 — UNAIDS’ Regional Support Team for East and Southern Africa (UNAIDS RST ESA) is releasing bi-monthly updates to track the impact of US funding cuts on the HIV response in East and Southern Africa. The report outlines key challenges as well as government and UN responses. The US Government supported 15 countries in the region including: Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The recent cuts in US funding have had a seismic impact on HIV responses across East and Southern Africa. They have led to immediate disruptions in HIV prevention, treatment and care services. While a waiver was introduced to allow implementing partners to continue providing certain services, including lifesaving HIV treatment, it did not prevent widespread service gaps. The US funding cuts have already resulted in thousands of health workers being retrenched, programs halted, reduced access to HIV prevention, unavailability of data system and other related services and the dismantling of community health systems.
The results from one survey in a high-burden country in the region found that 62% of respondents reported difficulty accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), 46% of people living with HIV experienced disruptions in HIV treatment and 23% of people living with HIV received smaller amounts of antiretroviral medicines (for example less than three-month supply instead of the usual three to six-month supply) from local dispensaries.
Countries across the region are adapting to the cuts, with governments, civil society organizations, and international partners exploring ways to continue providing critical HIV services.
Access the full regional update here.
UNAIDS and partners provide a compilation of country updates on the impact of US funding cuts on the global HIV response (a living document). The latest updates by country can be accessed here.
Source : UNAIDS
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