USAID suspension threatens HIV response in Ethiopia
The country’s health services, which include fight against infectious diseases, technical sexual assistance, and care services, would be severely affected with the suspension of the aid
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (MNTV) – The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that the suspension of U.S. foreign assistance will bring severe consequences to Ethiopia.
The suspension will hamper national HIV response for over 270,000 beneficiaries across Addis Ababa, Oromia, and Gambella, according to local media sources.
In an update issued on February 5, 2025, UNAIDS highlighted that halting U.S. funding to community programs and drop-in centers catering to women, young girls, and at-risk populations will deprive tens of thousands of individuals of essential services.
These include HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, and screenings for tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence support.
The agency also noted that many drop-in centers will close, and contracts for outreach workers and peer educators will be terminated, cutting off critical support for vulnerable groups.
A breakdown of the disruption reveals that 235,560 individuals will no longer receive sexual protection, 18,075 will lose access to health services, and 2,385 will be unable to continue their treatments for infectious diseases.
The funding suspension stems from a 90-day freeze on foreign aid disbursements ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, followed by a stop-work directive from the State Department affecting the aid programs.
Despite an emergency humanitarian waiver issued on January 28 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which allows some life-saving assistance to continue, UNAIDS stressed that the impact on Ethiopia’s health system remains severe.
The suspension has also led to the termination of 10,000 data clerks responsible for entering antiretroviral data into Ethiopia’s Health Information System.
This disruption is hindering efforts to track lost-to-follow-up cases and undermining patient management.
Following the U.S. funding freeze, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health instructed regional and municipal health bureaus to halt all activities and payments related to U.S.-funded employees.
This directive, issued on January 31, 2025, affects nearly 5,000 health workers whose contracts were supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USAID.
UNAIDS emphasized that the funding gap is also delaying the procurement of essential HIV supplies, including testing kits and viral load reagents.
With the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding 100% of viral load and Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) testing, the disruption is undermining patient monitoring and treatment efforts.
PEPFAR, which has invested nearly $3 billion in Ethiopia since 2003, has provided lifesaving antiretroviral therapy to over 450,000 individuals, covering 98% of the country’s HIV treatment needs.
However, UNAIDS warns that Ethiopia remains heavily dependent on external donors to sustain its HIV response, making the recent funding suspension a significant setback in the fight against the epidemic.
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