The global AIDS community has been awaiting a plan from the Trump administration beyond more than funding cuts. But the “America First Global Health Strategy,” released last month, is not what many were hoping for.
While it prioritizes sector goals, such as greater country ownership, it would also withdraw funding for technical assistance or to monitor program quality. Experts say these pieces have been crucial to the success of the flagship U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which is credited with saving 26 million lives since its launch in 2003.
By eliminating that support — along with swaths of prevention and community-based initiatives — experts warn that the Trump administration is undermining PEPFAR’s lifesaving capacity.
About the author
Andrew Green@_andrew_green
Andrew Green, a 2025 Alicia Patterson Fellow, works as a contributing reporter for Devex from Berlin.
