The United States government has ended its partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a collaborative initiative within the UN that leads global efforts to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNAIDS announced the development on its website on Friday.
The decision follows an Executive Order issued by the U.S. President on January 20, 2025, titled “Reevaluating and Realigning U.S. Foreign Aid.” The order imposed a 90-day freeze on all foreign aid to assess whether current assistance programs align with U.S. foreign policy objectives.
UNAIDS stated that it complied with the Executive Order by suspending contracts and activities funded through U.S. foreign assistance.
However, on February 27, 2025, UNAIDS received a letter from the U.S. Government/USAID informing them of the immediate termination of their agreement.
“This is a serious development that affects the entire HIV response, including the continuity of life-saving HIV services for people living with and affected by HIV, as well as civil society and our partners,” UNAIDS said.
The letter from the U.S. Government/USAID indicated that “detailed instructions will follow.” In response, UNAIDS has formally reached out to the U.S. Government for further clarification.
As of February 17, 2025, UNAIDS had received reports from 52 countries experiencing disruptions in their HIV response due to the pause in U.S. foreign aid.
The report highlighted significant impacts, including interruptions in HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, affecting community organizations and healthcare workers.
It also identified Nigeria as one of the 20 countries most dependent on U.S. funding for HIV medications. According to the report, Nigeria receives 47% of its HIV-related resources directly from U.S. funding and 94% from donor contributions.
In early February, the Federal Executive Council approved $1.07 billion in funding for healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity program, along with an allocation of ₦4.8 billion for HIV treatment.
Nigeria’s HIV prevalence stands at 1.4% among individuals aged 15–64, with an estimated two million people living with the virus. According to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, approximately 1.6 million of them are currently receiving treatment.
In January, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed deep concern over the impact of the immediate funding pause on HIV programs in low- and middle-income countries, which provide life-saving therapy to over 30 million people worldwide.
By the end of 2023, an estimated 39.9 million people were living with HIV globally.
WHO warned that halting funding for HIV programs could immediately increase the risk of illness and death for those living with the virus while also undermining efforts to prevent transmission. If prolonged, such disruptions could lead to a surge in new infections and fatalities, reversing decades of progress and potentially returning the world to the crisis levels of the 1980s and 1990s, when millions died of HIV each year, including many in the United States.
