Clinics closed across dozens of countries, while families struggled to return for care. New research points to a widening gap in prevention and treatment.
US funding cuts and the suspension of the US Agency for International Development disrupted services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. According to a survey by amfAR, 63% of organizations that received funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) experienced interruptions. Another 22% of respondents said they had stopped providing these services altogether.
As highlighted by CNN
In January 2025, pediatrician Teopista Masenge received an order at a hospital in the Tanzanian city of Mbeya to immediately halt a program supporting children, infants exposed to HIV, and pregnant women. She later lost her job. Masenge told CNN that the effects of the disruptions are still being felt: mothers are less likely to visit health facilities to get medication, and access to early infant testing has declined.
People aren’t returning to health facilities to get medication because they feel the quality of services has really deteriorated.
– Teopista Masenge
The scale of disruptions to HIV prevention programs
A study by amfAR, conducted in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, surveyed 166 organizations in 46 countries – about 23% of PEPFAR partners. Respondents reported that 1,714 health facilities that had previously received program support closed in 2025.
Other studies recorded changes in testing and treatment coverage in 2025: HIV testing among pregnant women fell by 2%, and testing among infants fell by at least 6%. In eight countries, the number of children who started taking HIV medication dropped by 15%. A program supporting orphans and vulnerable children reached about 4.8 million fewer children and family members than the year before.
The US administration’s position and experts’ concerns
A US State Department spokesperson criticized amfAR’s survey methodology and said the Donald Trump administration had strengthened PEPFAR by focusing on measurable outcomes and greater accountability for recipient countries. According to the department, as of September 30, 2025, the US was supporting treatment for 20.6 million people with HIV in more than 50 countries.
Experts caution that a decline in the number of children starting treatment does not, by itself, prove that prevention has become more effective. Fewer tests and difficulties collecting data may mean that children are losing access to diagnosis and medical care. Jennifer Kates of KFF warned that the full impact of the disruptions may become apparent later. By then, it may be harder to determine how many children went without diagnosis and treatment.