All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations,

PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives around the globe and is considered George W. Bush's greatest achievement. Donald Trump has left its future in doubt.

The Trump administration has made some concessions to the halt placed on distributions of global HIV treatments via

The United States has approved an emergency humanitarian waiver allowing continued access to HIV treatment funded by the U.S. across 55 countries worldwide including Kenya. On January 29, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized the waiver,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s order to pause nearly all foreign aid has halted funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an African HIV-prevention program launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has saved over 25 million lives.

PEPFAR, a $7.5 billion initiative established in 2003, has provided HIV care to millions worldwide. The recent suspension of the program raised concerns about the potential loss of access to HIV medications for more than 20 million people.

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

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a federal program that provides HIV medications, is one of the programs on pause during a 90-day review ordered by the Secretary of State.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed deep concern about the funding pause for HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, is credited with saving 25 million lives worldwide and has long enjoyed bipartisan support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s foreign aid pause threatens PEPFAR, risking delays in life-saving HIV treatments for 20 million globally.