The move from the UN Agency dedicated to end the illness came in response to an immediate 90-day financing break for all foreign aids set out in a executive order by President Trump, including the US President’s emergency plan for AIDS-PREPARATION (PEPFAR ).

PepFar is the world’s leading HIV initiative that directly supports more than 20 million people living with HIV, and represents two-thirds of all people receiving HIV treatment globally.

The disconnection approves the continuation or resumption of “life -saving humanitarian assistance” which applies to core life -saving medicine and medical servicesIncluding HIV treatment, as well as supplies needed to provide such help.

‘Critical Role’

“Unaids welcomes this waiver from the US government, which ensures that millions of people living with HIV can continue to receive life-saving HIV medication during the assessment of US foreign development assistance,” said Unaids director Winnie Byanyima.

“This urgent decision recognizes Pepfar’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope for people living with HIV“

The financing break for development aid for “assessment of programmatic efficiency and consistency with US foreign policy,” was one of the first major foreign policy decisions made by the new administration.

Unaids will continue the efforts to ensure that all people living with or affected by HIV are served and that other key components of PepFar’s life-saving efforts, including service delivery and services for HIV prevention, care and support for orphans and vulnerable children, continue .

Immediate influence

Previously, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) expressed a deep concern about the consequences of the financing break for HIV programs in low and middle-income countries.

These programs provide access to life-saving HIV therapy to more than 30 million people around the world. Globally, 39.9 million people lived with HIV at the end of 2023.

“Such measures, if long -term, could lead to increases in new infections and deaths, turn decades of progress and potentially take the world back to the 1980s and 1990s when millions died of HIV every year globally, including many in the US“Said, who in a statement that was sent out for the State Secretary’s emergency exemption was announced.

More than 26 million lives saved

Pepfar has been a flagship initiative for the global HIV response since its establishment over 20 years ago, which emphasized.

Any financing break to PepFar would have a direct impact on millions of lives that depend on the predictable supply of safe and effective antiretroviral treatment.

Pepfar works in over 50 countries all over the world and has saved more than 26 million lives in the past two decades. Currently, PepFar HIV is providing treatment for more than 20 million people living at HIV globally, including 566,000 children under the age of 15.

Growing self -confidence

Who said that in the past year, pepar and partners – including who – “has been Works with sustainability plans with countries for greater ownership of the country and reduced donor support up to and beyond 2030. “

A sudden and long -lasting stop to programs would inhibit an administered transition and put the life of millions at risk.

The agency said it would remain obliged to support pepar and other partners as well as national governments in effectively managing change processes to minimize the impact of people living with HIV.