The abrupt withdrawal of U.S. funding for HIV/AIDS programs in Uganda threatens to undermine the significant progress made in combating the epidemic.
During a meeting with the Committee on Health on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, Vincent Bagambe, the Director of Planning and Strategic Information at the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), voiced serious concerns about the impact of this funding cut.
Bagambe stressed that the loss of U.S. support could jeopardise Uganda’s achievements in reducing new infections and AIDS-related deaths.
“We are at a critical juncture,” Bagambe warned. “Uganda has made tremendous progress in reducing new infections and AIDS-related deaths, but the funding cut puts these gains at risk. We need an additional Shs300 billion to ensure uninterrupted access to treatment, laboratory monitoring, and other essential services.”
According to the UAC’s policy brief, Uganda spends roughly Shs1.9 trillion annually on HIV services, with 60% of this funding coming from international donors, particularly the U.S. government through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The recent freeze in funding has created uncertainty among implementing partners, with some clinics already shutting down and staff being laid off.
“If we don’t act quickly, we risk a crisis where thousands of people living with HIV may no longer have access to medication, increasing the risk of drug resistance and new infections,” Bagambe cautioned, emphasising the urgency of addressing the funding shortfall.
UAC statistics show that Uganda has 1.49 million people living with HIV, with a prevalence rate of 5.1%. In 2023, there were 38,000 new infections and 20,000 AIDS-related deaths, with young people aged 15-24, particularly adolescent girls and young women, being the most affected demographic.
Jacqueline Makokha, UNAIDS Country Director, underscored the importance of local solutions to address the funding gap. “We need to come up with our own home-grown solutions; support will not come from outside. It has to come from within, from those of us facing this situation,” she said.
Flavia Kyomukama, a representative from the National Forum of People Living with HIV, warned that the freeze in funding is not merely a financial blow, but a direct threat to lives.
“This freeze is not just on funding; it is a freeze on our lives, on our bloodlines. We are slowly dying, and we are asking Parliament to represent us,” Kyomukama said.
As Uganda grapples with this looming crisis, immediate action is required from both the government and international partners to ensure continued support and avoid setbacks in the fight against HIV/AIDS.