The United States government has approved an emergency humanitarian waiver to ensure continued HIV treatment for millions of people in 55 countries, including Nigeria.
The decision comes after an initial pause on funding for HIV programmes in developing countries, which was ordered under an executive order on foreign aid by former US President Donald Trump upon assuming office.
This directive had led to the suspension of disbursements from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a US government initiative that supports HIV treatment for over 20 million people worldwide, including 566,000 children under the age of 15.
In a statement released on Wednesday, January 29, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomed the waiver, noting that it ensures uninterrupted access to life-saving HIV medication.
“UNAIDS welcomes this waiver from the US government, which ensures that millions of people living with HIV can continue to receive life-saving medication during the assessment of US foreign development assistance.
This urgent decision recognises PEPFAR’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope to people living with HIV,” the statement read.
Reacting to the development, Toyin Aderibigbe, spokesperson for the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for the waiver while highlighting the need for sustainable HIV response strategies.
“The Nigerian government will intensify domestic resource mobilisation strategies towards ownership and sustainability of the HIV response.
This will reduce the risks posed by donor aid policy shifts while ensuring that Nigeria’s strategic goals and targets in the fight against HIV are achieved,” Aderibigbe stated.
She further emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration, policy development, and advocacy in Nigeria’s efforts to end AIDS by 2030.
The US government, through PEPFAR, has been a major supporter of Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response, covering approximately 90% of the treatment burden in the country.
The recently approved waiver is expected to provide much-needed relief and stability to ongoing HIV treatment efforts.