The US-funded HIV/AIDS programs are facing a financial cliff-edge as 120 funding awards for HIV/AIDS work carried out by the US Centers for Disease Control are set to expire in September. The programs provide services to more than 8.7 million patients worldwide, including community testing, HIV clinical services, HIV lab services, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medication.

Impact on Global Health

The expiration of these awards will have a significant impact on global health, particularly in Africa, where many of the programs are located. The US State Department is restructuring the CDC’s work on global health initiatives, which may lead to a reduction in funding for these programs.

The new guidance lays out a “streamlined” approach to the United States’ long-running HIV/AIDS initiative, called the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). However, critics and experts have expressed concerns that this new approach will severely diminish the initiative’s effectiveness and sideline the health experts at CDC.

Concerns and Criticisms

Former CDC directors have warned that the State Department strategy will “destroy PEPFAR and undermine health security around the world and in our own country.” They have urged the State Department, CDC, and Congress to work together on a more stable transition plan.

A bipartisan group of senators has sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging a direct increase in funding for CDC’s global health account, arguing that PEPFAR is one of the most cost-effective foreign assistance programs, delivering an immense return on investment.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.