- The United States has signed a $5.88 billion bipartisan package to strengthen the global HIV response
- The funds target bilateral programmes, the Global Fund and UNAIDS
- The UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, says the move will save millions of lives worldwide
The United States has enacted a US$5.88 billion bipartisan spending package aimed at strengthening the worldwide fight against HIV, according to a press release from UNAIDS.
The funding will support bilateral HIV programmes, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and UNAIDS itself, reinforcing Washington’s continued leadership in efforts to meet global HIV targets.
The UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, said the investment would have an immediate and far-reaching impact in partner countries.
“US President Donald Trump signed the consolidated spending package into law on 3 February 2026 which allocates US$ 4.6 billion to bilateral HIV support through the America First Global Health Strategy, US$ 1.25 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and US$ 45 million to UNAIDS.
“I thank President Trump and the US Congress for their continued commitment to HIV and global health,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This US investment will provide life-saving support for millions of people in partner countries and help to ensure that the global HIV response remains efficient, data-driven and delivers results.”
UNAIDS noted that the package aligns with the America First Global Health Strategy and supports progress toward the organisation’s 95-95-95 targets, an internationally recognised framework designed to end AIDS as a public-health threat by 2030.
Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by HIV, with an estimated two million people living with the virus and an adult prevalence rate of about 1.4 per cent. Roughly 1.6 million Nigerians are currently receiving treatment.
Much of the country’s progress in controlling the epidemic has relied on international funding for testing, treatment, prevention programmes and data systems that monitor outcomes. Health experts warn that without sustained donor support, millions who depend on antiretroviral therapy and related services could face disruptions or reduced access to care.
For more than 20 years, the United States has been the world’s largest contributor to the global HIV response through initiatives such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), alongside support for the Global Fund and UNAIDS.
Since PEPFAR was launched in 2003 under former president George W. Bush, the programme has channelled more than US$120 billion into HIV control efforts and is credited with saving over 25 million lives while preventing millions of new infections across more than 50 countries.
However, the funding environment shifted in early 2025 when Washington introduced wide-ranging reforms to its foreign-aid framework. An executive order issued in January 2025 temporarily paused much US development assistance, including health-sector funding, pending a review under new policy priorities.
The move had swift repercussions in several low- and middle-income countries that depend heavily on US support for antiretroviral treatment, testing services, prevention campaigns and health-worker training, prompting fears among global health agencies that decades of progress against HIV could be rolled back.
In Nigeria, limited domestic health financing adds to those concerns. The country spends about US$120 per person on healthcare each year, with only around US$30 coming from government sources, leaving individuals to cover most costs out-of-pocket.
Last year, the United States pledged nearly US$2 billion in grants to Nigeria’s health sector over the 2026–2030 period to help address long-standing gaps in healthcare financing and service delivery.
Globally, the US remains by far the largest single government donor to HIV programmes. In 2024, Washington provided about US$6.69 billion, roughly 80 per cent of all government donor funding for HIV in low- and middle-income countries.
Other major donors trailed far behind, with France contributing about US$314 million, Germany US$226 million, the United Kingdom US$218 million and the Netherlands US$192 million during the same period.
FG plans self-funding strategy for Nigeria’s HIV response amid US HIV/AIDS waiver
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to mobilising domestic resources to ensure Nigeria’s ownership and sustainability of its HIV response. The move aims to mitigate the risks associated with shifting donor aid policies.
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has assured Nigerians that strategic measures are in place to achieve the country’s HIV/AIDS goals.