Overview
- Washington has launched six‑month bridge programs and begun talks on a multiyear funding deal, according to the State Department.
- Health workers say some initiatives are reinstated on paper but clinics remain closed, staff were laid off, and patients paused or rationed treatment.
- Prevention efforts were cut off, including mother‑to‑child transmission programs, male circumcision outreach, and services for sex workers and miners.
- Lesotho, with about 260,000 people living with HIV, had recently hit UNAIDS targets, and experts warn the disruption risks reversing gains.
- Analysts note the shift to route funds directly to governments is high‑risk, data teams were dismissed, and officials struggle to track the full impact.