Devex: HIV advocates fear U.S. cuts and ‘gag rule’ could undermine global progress
“Even as HIV researchers buzzed about scientific advances and policymakers championed significant gains, this week’s International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science was dominated by concerns over global funding and worries that continued drops might undercut recent progress. The most acute concerns center around the United States, the largest global donor to HIV care. If Congress adopts President Donald Trump’s proposed … cuts in funding for HIV programs in ongoing budget negotiations, the world could see as many as 90,000 additional AIDS-related deaths starting next year, the Kaiser Family Foundation has estimated. The loss of funding would further drain a diminishing pool of resources. A joint report from KFF and UNAIDS released ahead of the conference showed a 7 percent drop in global donor funding for HIV in 2016, plunging totals to a six-year low…” (Green, 7/28).