US funding cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief have forced the closure of more than 1,700 HIV clinics and cost over 16,000 health workers their jobs across 46 countries, according to a report issued Tuesday by amfAR.
The survey of 166 organizations found that 63 percent of groups providing mother-to-child transmission prevention reported disruptions, with a fifth ending services entirely. Spending on prevention fell by more than half in a single year, and nearly four in five respondents said they were asked to restrict work to comply with additional US policies including anti-DEI executive orders and an expanded global gag rule. PEPFAR-supported treatment reached approximately 77,000 fewer children in 2025, a 14 percent drop.
UNAIDS has warned that if the cuts become permanent, the world could see 6.6 million additional HIV infections and 4.2 million more AIDS deaths by 2029. The findings are being presented at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro.