One year ago, in 2025, the Trump administration cut most of its foreign aid contracts, amounting to around $60 billion in aid. It also cut funding to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

While Frontline AIDS receives no US funding, half of our partners – 27 out of our 54 global partners – are impacted by the American foreign aid cuts. We are facing a new AIDS emergency. NACOSA, a Frontline AIDS partner in South Africa, has been forced to shut down all its USAID-supported programmes. “Before the cuts, we were reaching 32,000 [gender-based violence survivors] a year. Now, those survivors could be left without any support,” says Sophie Hobbs, Head of Programmes, NACOSA, speaking to Al Jazeera. “More than 160 of our 470 staff members were immediately let go of, and a radical restructure is under way.”

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has also paused some areas of investment ahead of its Eighth Replenishment, which saw the amount pledged fall significantly short of the $18 billion target. This reflects an uncertain global health funding outlook that has already seen reductions in official development assistance from many European governments.

A new survey conducted by Coalition Plus, Frontline AIDS, Sidaction, and Aidsfonds of 79 organisations in 47 countries shows the HIV response has been weakened by the funding cuts, which are directly impacting essential prevention, support and health services. Resources are declining. Women and children, young people, LGBTQ+ groups and services for key populations and for people living with HIV have been particularly impacted, as have the community organisations that help them.

Our new Transition Initiative reports also reveal the impact of the cuts in eight African countries where 2.7 million people are at risk of losing HIV prevention services.

UNAIDS estimates that AIDS-related deaths will increase by tenfold to 6.3 million with over eight million new HIV infections by 2030. Frontline AIDS and its partners have been working towards ending AIDS by 2030 as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, but these cuts will make this goal much harder to reach.

How is Frontline AIDS responding?

The Frontline AIDS partnership is made up of 54 partners working in over 100 countries – one of the world’s largest global partnerships of community and civil society organisations working together to end AIDS – headquartered in the UK and South Africa. We are working with our partners to capture the impact of an uncertain funding climate, secure alternative sustainable financing and lobby governments to minimise disruption to services.

We need to move in quickly and look at how else can we mobilise resources to make sure we intensify prevention, to make sure we give people more choices for HIV prevention.Simon Sikwese, Executive Director, Pakachere, Malawi

We are coordinating the Transition Initiative which is working with communities and civil society to shape the future of HIV and SRHR services. Launched in May 2025, it supports a shift from donor funding to accountable, government-led systems — with communities at the centre.

We need to move fast. Speaking to Devex last year, Simon Sikwese, who runs Pakachere, a Frontline AIDS partner in Malawi, says: “We need to move in quickly and look at how else can we mobilise resources to make sure we intensify prevention, to make sure we give people more choices for HIV prevention.”

frontline aids AND PARTNERS in the news

How sexual violence survivors in South Africa are now collateral damage of Trump’s aid cuts  – The Independent (May 2025) – features NACOSA’s GBV intervention programme, GRIP

Haitians with HIV defy stigma as they publicly denounce USAID cuts and dwindling medication – Associated Press (May 2025) – features our partner in Haiti, Promoters of Zero AIDS Goal

How US funding cuts are threatening South African families living with HIV – Al Jazeera (April 2025) – features NACOSA’s GBV intervention programme, GRIP

Campaigners and charities horrified by revelations about impact of Trump’s ‘reckless’ USAID cuts – The Independent (April 2025)

Trump USAID cuts make impact in South Africa – Channel 4 News, (March 2025) – The GBV intervention programme, GRIP, was supported by our partner in South Africa, NACOSA

Experts warn of threat to global health as US freezes overseas aid – BBC (Feb 2025)

Trump’s gutting of USAID sends chill through Southeast Asia – Al Jazeera (Feb 2025) – features Choub Sok Chamreun, Executive Director of our partner, KHANA Cambodia

The man died: There are many who will not survive – TV2 Norway (Feb 2025)