PEPFAR is the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Since its inception in 2003, PEPFAR has invested over $100 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, saving 25 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and supporting several countries to achieve HIV epidemic control – all while significantly strengthening global health security.

But now, Trump’s funding cuts to critical programs, like PEPFAR and Ending the HIV Epidemic, are putting lives at risk. Cutting access to these programs and life-saving medication means more people will suffer. This is no longer about politics - it’s life and death.

This decision has plunged countless people into despair. Those relying on PEPFAR for AIDS testing and prevention now lack security, facing a much higher infection risk. UNAIDS predicts that if aid remains frozen, AIDS could claim 6.3 million lives and cause 8.7 million new infections in the next five years. AIDS patients who received treatment via PEPFAR suffer as their conditions relapse due to discontinued medication, enduring great physical and mental pain.

The international community roundly condemns Trump's decision to halt PEPFAR. Governments, international bodies, and public welfare advocates criticize this move for ignoring global public health and prioritizing political self-interest over saving lives. The fight against AIDS demands global cooperation. Trump's shortsightedness has damaged the US's long-built positive image in the fight against AIDS and made many question its sense of international responsibility.