Closed clinics and limited ART in Zimbabwe, PEPFAR and UNAIDS news
4 May 2025. Related: Early access, Treatment access.
Simon Collins, HIV i-Base
Health Policy Watch (HPW) is an organisation that reports on international global health issues. Links to several recent articles are included below.
Zimbabwe crisis: clinics closed, ART stockouts, bribes and rationing
100 days into the US Presidency, thousands of HIV and sexual health clinics remain closed in Zimbabwe and other countries globally and people living with HIV are still unable to get their regular HIV meds.
This HPW report covers closed clinics and ART stockouts, which are being reported across the country – from the capital of Harare to rural villages. Other medicines are also in limited supply and PrEP is no longer available. More than 1.3 million people in Zimbabwe are living with HIV and until recently, at least 1.2 million were on ART.
So far there has been no clear commitment from the Zimbabwe government to continue to provide ARVs.
Zimbabwe is not alone as many other countries face similar HIV crises from the overnight cancellation of US aid.
Ref: Bribes and Rationing of AIDS Medicine in Zimbabwe as Trump’s Aid Cuts Bite (30 April 2025).
https://healthpolicy-watch.news/bribes-and-rationing-of-aids-medicine-in-zimbabwe-as-trumps-aid-cuts-bite
PEPFAR funding now ended with future unclear
This article covers the uncertainty of continued funding for PEPFAR which currently supports ART for 20 million people globally in many low-income countries.
The previous year’s authorisation for PEPFAR was due to be renewed on 25 March 2025. Although Congress funding can continue to cover PEPFAR costs, this hasn’t protected other similarly approved projects from continuing.
The overall approach since 20 January 2025 has been for the US government to withdraw from international philanthropic programmes unless they can prove these directly benefit the US itself.
Even though months have passed since the overnight cancellation of USAID programmes jeopardised continued access to ART for millions of people, there has still not been an international emergency response.
Ref: PEPFAR Reauthorisation Expires With No Clarity About Renewed US Funding for HIV (25 March 2025).
https://healthpolicy-watch.news/pepfar-reauthorisation-expires-with-no-clear-path-for-renewed-aid
Plans to merge UNAIDS with WHO (2 and 8 May 2025)
This article includes a review of different ways that the new funding crisis for both UNAIDS and WHO might be overcome. However, a statement made shortly afterwards seems to have retracted these plans. [1, 2]
Merging both organisations might be able to reduce running costs, although both agencies were already running under their optimal budgets. WHO currently faces a $2.5 billion deficit.
This is part of a large strategy of the United Nations, with the article including detailed text and suggestions from the UN80 Task Force which will report full results to the UN General Assembly in September 2026.
References
- Full Text of UN80 Task Force Pitch for Streamlined UN UNAIDs Merger with WHO.
https://healthpolicy-watch.news/exclusive-full-text-of-un80-task-force-pitch-for-streamlined-un-including-who-and-unaids-merger - HPW. WHO’s Samira Asma Reportedly Leaving Tedros’ Leadership Team – UNAIDS Scraps Merger Plan. (8 May 2025)
https://healthpolicy-watch.news/whos-samira-asma-reportedly-leaving-tedros-leadership-team-unaids-nixes-merger-with-who/