Nearly all global health funding from the U.S. has been halted immediately by the Trump administration — and that appears to include PEPFAR, the widely praised program created by President George W. Bush in 2003 to prevent HIV/AIDS.
With its $6.5 billion annual budget, PEPFAR — the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — provides HIV/AIDS medications for over 20.6 million people, keeping patients alive and preventing them from transmitting the virus. It also offers testing and education on HIV/AIDS. According to a State Department fact sheet, PEPFAR has saved the lives of an estimated 26 million people since its inception.
The program has a history of bipartisan support in Congress.
On Friday, the State Department issued a cable putting into action the January 20th executive order from President Donald Trump that will halt virtually all U.S. foreign assistance for at least 90 days pending a review of all programs. The only exceptions are emergency humanitarian assistance and military financing for Israel and Egypt.