In June 2025, hopes for a revolutionary year in the battle against H.I.V. have dimmed significantly due to substantial cuts in foreign assistance from the Trump administration. The introduction of new vaccines and a promising preventive drug, lenacapavir—a twice-yearly injection designed to offer complete protection against H.I.V.—were slated for rollouts across Africa. This initiative targeted young women who, in the previous year, accounted for half of all new H.I.V. infections globally.
However, the expected progress has been severely undermined as funding for these vital programs has dwindled. Reports indicate that in the first four months of 2025, nearly 5,000 people with H.I.V. missed medication pickups, likely due to clinic closures and the elimination of outreach staff. The crisis is acutely felt within organizations and research institutions that were prepared to analyze important trial data and push forward vaccine and treatment strategies.
Prominent researchers, like Dr. Leila Mansoor from South Africa, reiterate that the momentum to eliminate the H.I.V. epidemic is stronger than ever, but the lack of resources has left many programs scrambling. They are tasked with finding alternative funding sources and reviving initiatives that play crucial roles in H.I.V. prevention. As the specter of the epidemic continues to loom, the urgency to address these funding gaps has never been more critical.
