Donald Trump administration has issued an emergency waiver to ensure uninterrupted funding for HIV treatment in 55 countries, including Nigeria and other developing nations. This reversal comes just days after President Trump halted financial support for HIV treatment, sparking widespread concern among global health advocates.
The emergency waiver, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 27, guarantees that funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will continue to flow, despite a broader 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign development assistance. PEPFAR, the largest global initiative combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, provides antiretroviral therapy to over 20 million people worldwide.
The waiver is a response to a January executive order that temporarily halted U.S. development aid for a review of its effectiveness and alignment with American foreign policy interests. Global health advocates had warned that any disruption in HIV treatment could have deadly consequences.
The Trump administration’s reversal is seen as a last-minute move to prevent a potential health crisis. The emergency waiver ensures that millions of people living with HIV will continue to receive life-saving treatment, averting a catastrophe that could have resulted from the funding freeze.