African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board Call on the Foreign Aid Freeze
February 2025
On Friday, January 24, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on funding for foreign aid programs. During this period, no new funding will be provided, and ongoing programs have been ordered to stop.
A Call to Action
The Africa Women Prevention Community Accountability Board (AWPCAB) urgently calls on the United States Administration to reconsider lifting the executive order freezing its foreign aid to safeguard the investments and progress made over the years and uphold global health solidarity. We call on the U.S. administration to:
- Reverse policies that restrict funding for HIV prevention and treatment, ensuring continuity of care for millions who depend on the U.S.-funded programs.
- Reaffirm its commitment to lifesaving work by securing and disbursing funds without delays that could compromise essential health services.
- Safeguard Community-led HIV prevention programs that depend on U.S. support to reach vulnerable populations.
The U.S. has long been a global leader in advancing health programs, contributing significantly to pandemic responses and other health initiatives. Any interruption in funding jeopardizes decades of progress, particularly for women and girls and threatens to unravel years of progress in the global HIV and AIDS response, affecting millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and globally. Sustained U.S. investment is essential to maintaining momentum in reducing HIV infections and improving health outcomes globally.
Beyond the U.S., the AWPCAB calls on global and regional leaders, governments, philanthropists and the private sector to take urgent action to safeguard the progress made in HIV prevention and treatment in the past decades. The ongoing shifts in global health funding and policy underscore the need for strong government ownership, leadership and sustained investments to ensure women and girls continue to have access to life-saving prevention and treatment services.
Women and girls carry the heaviest HIV burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Any disruption in HIV prevention and treatment services therefore puts them at greater risk of HIV and other health challenges. We cannot afford to let political shifts derail the hard won progress in reducing infections and ensuring health equity. The global health community must come together to mitigate the impact of these shifts and protect clinical and community services.
Governments: Own the HIV Response and Increase Domestic Financing
We urge African governments to take full ownership of the HIV response by prioritizing sustainable domestic financing. For far too long, our continent has been heavily reliant on foreign aid to address one of the most pressing public health challenges. While external support has been crucial, the future of Africa’s HIV response must be firmly in our hands.
We call African leaders to:
- Increase national budget allocations for HIV prevention and treatment to ensure long term sustainability.
- Ensure HIV remains a priority in national development agendas, with strong policies that guarantee funding and accessibility to life-saving prevention and treatment medicines, products and services.
- Support local solutions and community-led initiatives to strengthen health systems and expand HIV service coverage.
Philanthropists, Private Sector, Africa CDC and African Union: Fill the Gaps and Invest in Sustainability
Africa has made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV, but critical gaps remain. These gaps cannot be filled by donor or government funding alone. We call for:
● Philanthropists to step up funding to fill critical funding gaps left by policy shifts and shrinking donor commitments; fund innovations that ensure HIV prevention tools are accessible, affordable, and adaptable to real-world settings.
● Private sector leaders invest in local pharmaceutical production and manufacturing to ensure affordable access to life-saving medications. We need public-private partnerships to mobilize resources and drive the response. Collaboration between governments, philanthropists and private industry is more urgent now than ever.
● The African Union must lead an African-led HIV financing agenda, convening governments and stakeholders to secure sustainable funding for HIV prevention and treatment. An AIDS-free Africa is possible – but only if we take ownership of the fight.
● The Africa CDC should scale up efforts to support countries to strengthen their surveillance systems to track potential drug resistance issues that may emerge due to disruptions in HIV prevention and treatment programs.
We call on the global health community—scientists, researchers, implementers, policymakers, and advocates—to take collective action to mitigate the potential impact of the U.S. aid freeze. Together, we must protect the progress made and continue working towards an AIDS-free generation.
About the AWPCAB
The African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board (AWPCAB) is a powerful collective of women and girls committed to advancing HIV prevention programs and strategies that center the voices and needs of African women. At the heart of our advocacy is the CHOICE Manifesto, a bold declaration that champions comprehensive, women-centered HIV prevention solutions.
For any correspondence, please contact:
Lilian Mworeko
Joyce Nganga
