The US government has halted the support for HIV treatment in Nigeria and other developing countries following an order by President Donald Trump.

The US State Department stopped the disbursement of funds from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a programme for HIV treatment in Africa and developing countries, for at least 90 days.

The action originates from President Trump’s executive order on foreign aid, which he signed on his first day in office last Monday.

The order instructed all government agencies managing foreign development assistance programmes to halt the disbursement of funds.

As a result, nearly all US global health funding was halted immediately.

The NPR reported that PEPFAR has stopped disbursing funding and is likely to suspend operations for at least three months if an exemption is not made for the programme in the coming weeks.

With an annual budget of $6.5 billion, PEPFAR delivers HIV/AIDS treatment to more than 20.6 million people. It has helped save lives and curb the spread of the virus.

The US State Department fact sheet showed that PEPFAR has saved the lives of an estimated 26 million people since its inception.

But speaking on the ban, the agency was quoted as saying, “The United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people,”

However, public health experts fear the new Trump administration might terminate the entire programme.

Some others hoped that Marco Rubio’s appointment as Secretary of State could signal positive news for PEPFAR, given his past support for the initiative.

Effect on Nigeria
About two million Nigerians currently live with HIV with many of them benefitting from PEPFAR.

As one of the countries with the highest HIV burden globally, Nigeria relies heavily on programmes such as PEPFAR for access to life-saving medications, and healthcare infrastructure support.

Over the years, PEPFAR has contributed over $6 billion to support Nigeria’s national HIV/AIDS response.

The suspension or permanent halt to the programme is thus likely to affect the efforts to control HIV in Nigeria.

SalamRushdie:
The Fraud in the Nigerian HIV sector was too much , too much padded numbers just for the purpose of corruption, most of the monies were stolen

Heavens1stson:


The action originates from President Trump’s executive order on foreign aid, which he signed on his first day in office last Monday.

The order instructed all government agencies managing foreign development assistance programmes to halt the disbursement of funds.

EmperorCaesar:


Na HIV funding

Me think say na the air wey we dey breathe Trump wan halt


See how happy those guys above me are. I hope this seccession of a thing come to pass one day

What kinda human have deep hate for his own country. According to psychologists, it doesnt make you appear more enlightened, in fact, it shows the opposite

Ekejoestar:
In three months time, most of those who supported and voted Trump are going to be full of regrets

SalamRushdie:


If secession come to pass how does it help u? Most of the HIV grants are stolen by institutional fraudsters...Trump will bring sanity into the HIV sector by force so only those who need the aid get it

EmperorCaesar:


Yes, it will definitely help me.

No Country grows with negativist citizens.

Your other point is null. Do you know how costly HIV drugs and medications are? Do you know there are over 2million Nigerians getting aided by this funding?

So, you'd rather they all struggle and perish just because the institution is supposedly corrupt?

See thinking

SalamRushdie:
The Fraud in the Nigerian HIV sector was too much , too much padded numbers just for the purpose of corruption, most of the monies were stolen

EmperorCaesar:


Na HIV funding

Me think say na the air wey we dey breathe Trump wan halt


See how happy those guys above me are. I hope this seccession of a thing come to pass one day

What kinda human develops deep hate for his own country just because his tribesman isnt the President of that country. According to psychologists, it doesnt make you appear more enlightened, in fact, it shows the opposite

EmperorCaesar:


Yes, it will definitely help me.

No Country grows with negativist citizens.

Your other point is null. Do you know how costly HIV drugs and medications are? Do you know there are over 2million Nigerians getting aided by this funding?

So, you'd rather they all struggle and perish just because the institution is supposedly corrupt?

See thinking

EmperorCaesar:


Yes, it will definitely help me.

No Country grows with negativist citizens.

See thinking

SalamRushdie:
The Fraud in the Nigerian HIV sector was too much , too much padded numbers just for the purpose of corruption, most of the monies were stolen

SalamRushdie:


If secession come to pass how does it help u? Most of the HIV grants are stolen by institutional fraudsters...Trump will bring sanity into the HIV sector by force so only those who need the aid get it

arkad321:
Trump is a,very cruel man. He is aiming for mass indirect murder.
People who cant even afford food how can they afford the expensive Arvs?

LordBiden:
This single act by trump will cost millions of lives,it will also cut jobs from people who work in such secrors,they cant afford to wait for 90 days.