Study Finds Sharp Drop in US-Funded HIV Care for Children

Around 77,000 fewer children worldwide received US-supported pediatric HIV treatment in the year ending in October 2025, a 14% drop from the previous fiscal year, according to a study presented at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Using data from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the researchers found declines in support in 20 of the 21 countries analyzed. The sharpest drop was recorded in South Africa, where the number of children receiving US-supported treatment fell by 30,000, or 45%, followed by Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi.

The study examines only US funding and does not rule out the possibility that some of the children may have continued receiving treatment through national governments or other donors.

The US Department of State questioned the study's methodology, arguing that the decline reflects the program's success because fewer children have been contracting HIV over time.

The authors, however, said that in countries including Uganda, Haiti, Zambia, South Africa and Kenya, last year's decline was significantly steeper than the historical trend. Local health activists in Kenya also said cuts in US aid had reduced community support groups and led to new fees for tests that had previously been free. Although the Kenyan government has trained staff to help fill some of the gaps, the activists said many community-based support systems have still not been fully replaced, leaving care for the most vulnerable children at risk.

(Reuters, Max)