The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has given the green light for an “Emergency Humanitarian Waiver” to keep US-funded HIV treatment accessible in 55 countries, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS shared on Wednesday that more than 20 million people living with HIV—about two-thirds of those receiving treatment worldwide—are directly supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is the leading initiative for HIV care globally.

UNAIDS is working with international and national partners to eliminate the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

“UNAIDS welcomes this waiver from the US government, which ensures that millions of people living with HIV can continue to receive life-saving HIV medication during the assessment of US foreign development assistance.

“This urgent decision recognises PEPFAR’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope to people living with HIV,”  said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Recently, the U.S. Department of State announced an executive order that puts a 90-day hold on all foreign assistance, including PEPFAR-supported funding and services.

This executive order, aimed at assessing program efficiency and alignment with U.S. foreign policy, marks one of the first significant foreign policy moves of the new administration.

UNAIDS indicated that the waiver facilitates the ongoing or renewed provision of "life-saving humanitarian assistance," which includes critical HIV treatment, medical services, and the necessary supplies to support this aid.

“UNAIDS will continue working to ensure that all people living with or affected by HIV receive care and that key components of PEPFAR’s life-saving efforts—including service delivery, HIV prevention, and support for orphans and vulnerable children—are maintained.

“UNAIDS is mobilising and convening partners, governments, and communities globally to assess and mitigate the impact of the funding pause on essential HIV services.

“We urge President Donald J. Trump to prioritise US leadership in the global HIV response to achieve the shared goal of ending AIDS,” the statement added.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization raised significant concerns regarding the potential consequences of the funding freeze for HIV programs in low- and middle-income nations, cautioning that it could endanger life-saving treatments for more than 30 million individuals globally.

By the end of 2023, approximately 39.9 million people were estimated to be living with HIV worldwide.

The WHO warned that extended delays in funding could "place individuals living with HIV at immediate risk of illness and death, hinder prevention strategies, and reverse years of progress, potentially regressing to the conditions of the 1980s and 1990s when millions succumbed to HIV each year, including in the United States."

Additionally, the global health organization highlighted that the cessation of funding for HIV programs could "undermine scientific progress, disrupt collaborations, and weaken public health initiatives, including innovative diagnostic tools, affordable medications, and community-based HIV care models." 

The WHO urged the United States government to approve further exemptions to ensure the continuation of essential HIV treatment and care services.