On April 10, 2025, the International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) convened a powerful X-Space titled “Ommission of PrEP: A Deadly Massacare.”
At the heart of the conversation was a stark warning: the funding freeze for HIV prevention tools like PrEP is not just a budget decision—it’s a deadly one.
The Space featured leading voices in HIV advocacy, including Yvette Raphael of South Africa and Edna Mwemutsi, a dynamic young leader from Tanzania.
What’s at Stake?
Many women and adolescent girls—could lose access to PrEP due to donor funding cuts, especially following recent changes in U.S. global health priorities.
“If we do not continue to fund HIV prevention choices, we risk going back to where we were 40 years ago,” warned Yvette Raphael.
Yvette reminded us that African women have long been central to HIV prevention research, participating in trials for tools like oral PrEP, the Dapivirine vaginal ring, and long-acting injectable Cabotegravir. But today, many of those same women cannot access the very tools developed from their participation.
She described clinics closing overnight and young people being denied PrEP because of lacking referral letters—deepening a cycle of confusion, fear, and vulnerability.
Voices from the Frontlines
Edna Mwemutsi, speaking as a young woman living with HIV, shared the pain and fear her community is experiencing:
“Without PrEP, there is no hope for young people,” she said. “The fear is real. The stigma is rising. And we are left asking—what now?”
She underscored that many young women, especially those in discordant relationships or with limited power in decision-making, rely on PrEP as one of the few tools that give them agency.
For Edna and others, PrEP wasn’t just a pill—it was a promise of protection, choice, and control.
What Can Be Done?
Both speakers emphasized the need to reimagine sustainability and shift the center of power in HIV prevention:
Here’s what they called for:
• Emergency funding mechanisms for PrEP and advocacy efforts.
• Youth-led leadership in HIV prevention program design.
• Peer-to-peer delivery and engagement models that actually work.
• Integration of HIV services into national health insurance schemes.
• Investment in local manufacturing of HIV prevention tools to reduce dependency on foreign aid.
• Honoring of the Abuja Declaration, urging governments to allocate 15% of national budgets to health.
From the floor, participants echoed the same frustrations and hopes. As Meseline Raphael Mulokozi from Tanzania said,
“We must stop depending on donors. It’s time our governments step up for our health.”
What’s Next?
At ICWEA, we believe prevention is power. PrEP must remain accessible, affordable, and adaptable—especially for women, girls, and key populations.
We are calling on governments, donors, researchers, and communities to urgently:
• Keep HIV prevention on the agenda.
• Fund and protect diverse prevention choices.
• Let women and youth lead.
Because if we fail to fund prevention today, we pay with lives tomorrow.
Join the conversation. Follow ICWEA and stay tuned for our upcoming dialogues, blogs, and policy briefs amplifying community voices and demanding action.
In Case You Missed It, take a LISTEN
#HIVPrevention
