*BREAKING SAD NEWS🥹* (_Long but worth a read_) A leaked internal memo obtained by the New York Times has revealed plans by the US State department to temporarily halt nearly all current foreign funding including that of Pepfar, a program that supplies most of the treatment for H.I.V. in Africa and developing countries worldwide. The action stems from President Donald Trump’s executive order on foreign aid, which directs all government divisions with foreign development assistance programs to stop disbursing funds to countries and organizations until they can be reviewed. Pepfar is estimated to have delivered lifesaving treatment to as many as 25 million people in 54 countries since inception in 2003. In Zimbabwe, Pepfar is the leading funder of HIV programing with the organisation having committed $210 million to Zimbabwe in 2024 and $200 million from October 2024 to Sept 2025. However, the three months’ hiatus is feared to negatively impact the HIV program in the Southern African country. HIV activists and representatives of organisations for person living with HIV who spoke to HealthTimes bemoaned the decision by President Trump. Mr. Stanley Takaona, president of the Zimbabwe HIV and AIDS Activists Union Community Trust described President Trump’s decision as unscientific. As activists and as healthcare consumers, we will lobby and persuade him to put on a humanitarian face. This is what we are doing now because this is affecting the community which is already affected by the condition,” said Mr. Takaona. The 63-year-old Takona has been living with HIV for over three decades now and has been relying and living on Antiretroviral Drugs procured through funding from PEPFAR, the AIDS Levy and other development partners. “I feel putting someone who is already affected by the condition on a death row is wrong. I know under PEPFAR, they know how many people who are living with HIV and those who are on Antiretroviral Treatment (ART). The equipment they are supporting they are aware of that and i don’t see any reason to put all these millions of peaople on death row.” He added that they have initiated processes to dialogue with President Trump and persuade him to reconsider his decision to pause funding for PEPFAR. “We are working with communities who are in America and all over the world to ensure we bring Present Trump to the negotiating table and ensure funding for PEPFAR continues without any glitches,” Takaona further stated. Data from the last Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment survey (ZIMPHIA 2) recorded an HIV prevalence of 11.58 per cent, translating into an estimated 1.3 million people living with HIV in 2021. Of these, about 72,100 were children 0 – 14 years and 77,300 adolescents aged 10 – 19. An estimated 53,000 pregnant women required prevention of vertical transmission of HIV services in 2021. Women have a higher prevalence rate (14.7%) than men (8.7%). HIV incidence is highest in females ages 15-29 years. Tendai Westerhoff, the National Director of the Pan-African Positive Women’s Coalition Zimbabwe (PAPWC) said the move by President Trump would spell doom for the HIV response in Zimbabwe. “President Trump should know that halting funding will worsen the situation because every day, somewhere and someone is being affected by HIV and AIDS,” said Westerhoff. “We are still getting new HIV infections and programs have to go on. They should not be interrupted and they should not be halted. There is a danger that those gaps will result in a regression whereby all efforts that we have done over many years and over two decades of fighting HIV and AIDS will be affected. Halting funding really does not solve anything but rather worsens the situation.” Meanwhile, Dr Benard Madzima, the National AIDS Council (NAC) Chief Executive Officer said HIV programs in Zimbabwe are continuing as usual. “Regarding this issue we have not received any communication that might lead to the disruption of HIV US funded programs in Zimbabwe. Everything is going on well as far as our agreements under Zimbabwe Country Operational Plan is concerned,” said Dr. Madzima. In a separate directive on Friday, also viewed by American press, officials were informed that although the initial review of foreign aid is intended to be completed within 85 days, final decisions might take up to 180 days. The longer timeline, and the pause on funding even to existing programs, dismayed some public health and development experts. “Any prolonged pause in funding could disrupt H.I.V. treatment programs, leading to treatment interruptions, rise of drug-resistant H.I.V.,” said Jirair Ratevosian, who served as chief of staff for Pepfar during the Biden administration. “That’s playing with fire risking progress that we’ve made over decades to control the H.I.V. epidemic.” Resistant strains of the virus that emerge in other nations would also endanger Americans, he noted. ‎Follow the PodMyth channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VatQmvjKmCPKQt7clb1s _Michael Gwarisa, Health Times._