January 31, 2025- The US Government’s dramatic freeze and unfreezing of foreign aid and its impact on the global community of people living with HIV is a wake-up call for global leaders to take charge and make good their commitments to providing us with access to life-saving care.
The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) is extremely relieved by the decision of the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio to approve the “Emergency Humanitarian Waiver”, and thank the United States Government for their continued leadership and commitment to the HIV response.
We extend gratitude to our national governments for their strong leadership and political commitment to the ambitions of the HIV response and are excited to learn from our urgent convening of People Living With HIV Leaders from national and regional networks yesterday, 30th January 2025 about the rapid response plans that many countries have in place to weather these times. Many of our colleagues have updates of the National Government’s assurance of secured treatment supply for extended periods of up to one year. A true testament to strong multi-sectoral collaboration at the country level.
The leadership of national PLHIV networks in various countries have stepped up and are working with their governments and key partners for solutions that ensure no treatment disruptions while innovating to adapt the community interventions that are most impacted by this decision. We thank you.
It is unfortunate that a matter of policy on our life or death was caught up in US politics when President Donald Trump’s new administration froze foreign aid funding for 90 days and thereafter imposed a stop-work order affecting the operations of PEPFAR and in many cases our access to HIV treatment. These events have not only shaken us to the core but reminded us all, of what is fundamentally important for all PLHIV; our access to life-saving ARV treatment.
In 2023, 630,000 people died from AIDS, likely from preventable and treatable opportunistic infections. For us these are not just numbers, but our partners, children, friends, and fellow activists we have lost to the horrible effects of this disease.
It is important that with the world’s attention now focussed on the transition from PEPFAR that we begin to listen to communities affected by HIV, and our experience on what has worked over the years as we look for a sustainable way to end AIDS and keep people alive.
The intention of PEPFAR to transition out of supporting our national Government HIV programs is not news to many of us, particularly PLHIV leaders who have been engaging in the HIV response sustainability plans under the leadership of UNAIDS, PEPFAR, and our national governments. Last December, many countries launched their countries’ Sustainability roadmaps to provide a new part way for the HIV response post-2030, however, the sustainability plans are yet to be finalized in most countries.
The UNAIDS is leading us all in developing the next Global AIDS Strategy (2026- 2030) and preparing for the 2026 UN High Level meeting on HIV/AIDS where member states will adopt the 2026 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.
We, the People Living with HIV, call on our Global Leaders to keep your promise to us and to the world: End AIDS as a public health threat and keep us alive.
We particularly call on all national governments, Global leaders in the AIDS response, and partners to work with us and develop concrete plans to get services and treatment for people living with HIV back on course, ensuring continuity, accessibility, and quality. The HIV response owes its success to our strong partnership and meaningful engagement of people living with HIV. With more than 40 years of experience, we can’t fail while close to the end,
Now more than ever, the community of PLHIV is committed to working with Global Leaders to define our priorities and efficiently use the available resources to continue saving lives of PLHIV. GNP+ commits to working with you all to strengthen local for global PLHIV-led advocacy for policies and plans that get the HIV response to Victory. Ending AIDS and keeping people alive.
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GNP+ is the global network of people living with HIV led by and for people living with HIV. We strengthen impactful PLHIV-led local for global advocacy and community leadership facilitated by our strong movement building through grant-making with country and regional networks of people living with and most impacted by HIV
