Sharp Reductions in USAID Funding for Combatting HIV/AIDS Having an Impact in Africa

 The Pulitizer Center published on 5 June 2025 a story titled "U.S. Aid Helped Two African Countries Rein in HIV.  Then Came Trump" by Jon Cohen.  

President George W. Bush's PEPFAR program controlled the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in countries like Eswatini and Lesotho.  Significant cuts in the PEPFAR program by the Trump administration are already interrupting this lifesaving assistance.  

Ethiopia: HIV Testing Success

The Washington-based Student Center for African Research and Resolutions (SCARR) published on 16 January 2015 a brief report titled "A Record Number of HIV Tests in Ethiopia" by Kaleab Brook, a former student of mine at George Washington University.

Kaleab reports that a one-day test for HIV in Gambella region of Ethiopia reached more than 3,300 people, a possible one-day Guinness World Record.  The testing determined that 82 persons were HIV positive.  They have been put in contact with healthcare facilities for support, treatment, and follow-up. 

Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Africa

The Lancet Global Health published in January 2015 a detailed study titled "Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Ten Sub-Saharan African Countries: What Do the Demographic and Health Surveys Tell US?" by Dick Durevall and Annika Lindskog. 

The study looks at Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Mali, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  The authors' findings indicate that male controlling behavior in its own right, or as an indicator of ongoing or severe violence, puts women at risk of HIV infection.  They recommend that HIV prevention interventions focus on high prevalence areas and men with controlling behavior, in addition to violence. 

Uganda Approves Controversial HIV/AIDS Law

The Inter Press Service published on 21 August 2014 an article titled "No Hope for AIDS-Free Generation in Uganda as Controversial HIV Bill Is Signed into Law" by Amy Fallon.  Uganda, which was an original success story in combating HIV/AIDS, has according to recent statistics fallen behind somewhat.  Uganda's parliament unanimously passed this week controversial HIV/AIDS legislation with some provisions that HIV/AIDS activists argue will set back the fight against the disease. 

Eritrea Does Well in Combating HIV/AIDS

Pambazuka News published on 31 July 2014 a brief analysis titled "Eritrea's Continued Progress in Combating HIV/AIDS" by FikreJesus Amahazion.  Drawing on 2013 statistics provided by UNAIDS, the author notes that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most heavily impacted region in the world.  Eritrea has done a particularly good job in keeping the HIV prevalence rate below 1 percent.  Ethiopia has also done well with a prevalence rate just over 1 percent.  The worst performer in the East African region is Uganda, which years ago was singled out for having one of the best programs to combat HIV/AIDS. 

Reducing HIV/AIDS Funding for Ethiopia

A 11 September blog posting on the Center for Global Development site by Amanda Glassman and Kate McQueston warns of possible negative fallout from proposed cuts for HIV/AIDS spending in Ethiopia. They note that Ethiopia will experience a 79 percent reduction in 2013 US HIV financing from PEPFAR and point out that Global Fund monies have gone almost completely undisbursed in 2012. The idea is to allocate more funding to more impoverished countries or those that spend the money more efficiently. They conclude, however, that "when you're funding life-saving care for a defined population and you're not able to connect money to patients, cutting abruptly is a terrible idea."

While the warning is well-taken, Ethiopia has received more funding from the Global Fund than any other country and the HIV positive rate has declined significantly as compared to ten years ago. Much of the reduction in the HIV positive rate may be due to more accurate sampling of the population. When resources are finite, it is difficult to counter the argument that more funds need to go to countries that have a greater need.

Click here to read the blog entry.