President Donald Trump's decision to freeze foreign assistance has caused widespread alarm among aid workers in Africa, with some crucial programs grinding to a halt, including experimental HIV treatment initiatives.
Last week, Trump ordered a suspension of foreign aid, while his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, has claimed to be putting the U.S. humanitarian agency USAID “through the woodchipper.”
This freeze includes a 90-day suspension of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which alone supports over 20 million HIV patients and 270,000 health workers, according to a report from the Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR).
PEPFAR provides vital anti-retroviral treatment to 679,936 pregnant women living with HIV, helping both to safeguard their health and prevent mother-to-child transmission. The analysis warns that the stoppage could result in 135,987 babies contracting HIV over the next three months.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting head of USAID, has stated that “life-saving treatments” would be exempt from the freeze. However, frontline workers in Africa report that services are already being suspended.
“As we speak, nothing is happening,” said Aghan Daniel, head of a USAID-funded team of Kenyan science journalists focusing on health issues. He explained to AFP that research projects had come to an abrupt halt, even for patients who were partway through experimental treatment.
He cited the MOSAIC (Maximizing Options to Advance Informed Choice for HIV Prevention) project, which tests new drugs and vaccines under PEPFAR funding. “The study candidates are now facing health risks because the program has been stopped suddenly,” Daniel added.
His team of six science journalists have all lost their jobs, with Daniel lamenting, “A lot of people are going to die because of a lack of knowledge.” He emphasized that spreading information about HIV prevention and treatment is crucial for reducing the epidemic in Africa, mentioning drugs like lenacapavir, as well as pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis.
Founded in 1961, USAID has an annual budget exceeding $40 billion, supporting development, health, and humanitarian programs worldwide, especially in low-income nations.
But it’s not just HIV programs that are impacted. A staff member from a USAID-funded program in Kenya described Trump’s decision as a “bombshell,” leaving many in “panic mode.”
“This will lead to more deaths from diseases like tuberculosis and cholera,” the source said. The organization is now unable to pay rent or staff salaries, forcing employees onto unpaid leave.
At a USAID office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, AFP witnessed workers clearing out their desks last Wednesday.
Despite Rubio’s exemption for life-saving work, “a lot of uncertainty remains,” said an anonymous staff member at an NGO focused on food security in conflict zones. “What exactly counts as life-saving? Are vaccines included, or are nutrition programs for severely malnourished children?”
They warned that even a few days of suspension could be the difference between life and death for many people.
Daniel also pointed out that better communication about the freeze could have softened its impact. “We have too many crises in the world already—we didn’t need to add another one,” he said.
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