Trump, Musk's dismantling of USAID dealt a heavy 'blow for HIV response' worldwide

South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia have begun administering Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking new HIV-prevention injection, in the drug’s first public rollouts in Africa, which has the world’s highest HIV burden. It has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent, making it akin to a powerful vaccine. All the while, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, is warning of the dire, even deadly, consequences directly linked to the abrupt defunding from the US, and, to a lesser extent, the UK: “The complex ecosystem that sustains HIV services in dozens of low-and-middle income countries was shaken to its core.” As we commemorate World Aids Day, Charles Pellegrin is pleased to welcome Vincent Leclercq, Director General of Coalition PLUS.