Cutting PEPFAR funding has shuttered more than 1,700 HIV clinics worldwide and put 16,000 health workers out of jobs, with no replacement funding in sight. Prevention spending dropped by more than half, and three-quarters of organizations serving the highest-risk populations ended at least one service. This dismantling of a program that saved 26 million lives is setting the stage for millions of new infections and deaths that were entirely preventable.
PEPFAR under the Biden administration drifted far from its core mission, getting tangled up in LGBTQ+ promotion, abortion services and rampant fraud — including corrupt Zambian officials reselling medicines meant to be free. Refocusing the program on measurable health outcomes and direct accountability isn't abandonment, it's responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars that the previous approach clearly lacked.
A vaccine for HIV can be administered to 10 million people by February 13, 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.4.1