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UNAIDS applauds US decision to continue HIV treatment

The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has welcomed the decision by the United States (US) to continue lifesaving HIV treatment.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday issued a waiver for lifesaving medicines and medical services, offering a reprieve for a worldwide HIV treatment programme that was halted last week.

On his first day in office last week, US president Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause on any foreign assistance as agencies review to ensure they will not be “disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy” of the president.

UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima in a statement on Wednesday said this move is expected to benefit over 20 million people living with HIV, who currently rely on the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) for their treatment.

Pepfar is widely recognised as the world’s foremost initiative in combating HIV-AIDS.

Byanyim welcomed the waiver, emphasising the importance of Pepfar’s role in supporting those affected by the virus.

“This urgent decision recognises Pepfar’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope to people living with HIV,” she stated.

She said the decision to provide a waiver for life-saving humanitarian assistance was crucial in mitigating fears of disruption, ensuring essential medicines and medical services would remain available.

“UNAIDS will continue efforts to ensure all people living with or affected by HIV are served and that other key components of Pepfar’s life-saving efforts, including service delivery and services for HIV prevention, care, and support for orphans and vulnerable children are continued,” she said.

Byanyima added that UNAIDS is serving in its essential role to mobilise partners, governments, and communities across the globe at a country level to assess and mitigate the impact of the pause on the continuity of essential HIV services.

UNAIDS has urged Trump to reinforce the nation’s leadership in the global HIV response.

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