The United States government under the leader of President Donald Trump has issued an emergency waiver to ensure that millions of people living with HIV across 55 countries continue receiving life-saving treatment.

This is coming days after Trump halted the financial support for HIV treatment in Sierra Leone and other developing countries.

Sierraloaded previously reported how an executive order signed on Trump’s first day in office suspended financial support for HIV treatment programmes in Sierra Leone and other developing countries.

Announced Tuesday, January 27, by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the emergency waiver guarantees that funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will flow uninterrupted, despite a broader 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign development assistance.

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PEPFAR, which is the largest global initiative dedicated to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, currently provides antiretroviral therapy to more than 20 million people worldwide.

The freeze had raised alarm among global health advocates, warning that any disruption in HIV treatment could have deadly consequences.

Over the years, PEPFAR has contributed to Sierra Leone’s HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programs with focus on improving the quality of HIV and TB services, reducing new HIV infections and decreasing maternal and child deaths. In 2021, nearly 50,000 Sierra Leoneans participated in PEPFAR programs including 1,200 sex workers and over 6,100 people living with HIV (PLHIV) who received antiretroviral treatment (ART).

Applauding Trump’s reverse of his executive order, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, the United Nations agency dedicated to the global HIV response, said:

“UNAIDS welcomes this waiver from the U.S. government, which ensures that millions of people living with HIV can continue to receive life-saving medication.

“This urgent decision recognizes PEPFAR’s critical role and restores hope to people living with HIV.”

Launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush, PEPFAR has long enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington and has played a pivotal role in reversing the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa , where it has helped prevent millions of deaths.