Global HIV Funding Cuts Prompt Program Suspensions, Staff Layoffs

The global HIV response is facing significant challenges due to funding cuts, particularly from major donors like the US and European Commission, leading to disruptions in prevention and treatment programs and staff layoffs. Despite these setbacks, there is an opportunity to strengthen domestic leadership and rethink funding models to sustain progress. In rural Uganda, a study on the Call For Life-Interactive Voice Response (C4L-IVR) mHealth intervention showed that while such technologies can support ART adherence and retention in care, barriers such as eHealth literacy, privacy concerns, and technology access remain. In the Middle East, rising HIV infections are linked to poor communication and stigma, which hinder effective treatment and patient support. Additionally, in the US, transgender men and transmasculine people face unique barriers to HIV prevention, prompting studies on peer-based digital interventions to improve PrEP uptake. Long-term care for people living with HIV also requires addressing complex behavioral health and substance abuse issues alongside medical treatment to improve overall outcomes.