Global Aid Cuts Hit HIV, Malaria and TB Prevention Programme

Global funding reductions are affecting disease-prevention programmes for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria more severely than treatment programmes, according to Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund says treatment coverage remained relatively resilient in 2025: 26.9 million people were receiving HIV antiretroviral therapy and 7.4 million people were treated for TB, while 196 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed for malaria prevention. However, Reuters reports that prevention has been disrupted. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use fell by about 300,000 people, while TB and malaria programmes experienced disruptions involving diagnostics, medicine supplies and prevention campaigns. Sands warned that maintaining treatment while reducing prevention can conceal the longer-term consequences of funding cuts: fewer people may be protected from infection today, potentially increasing future disease transmission and putting previous progress at risk. Why this matters for Africa Many African countries depend significantly on international financing for HIV, TB and malaria prevention and treatment. The Global Fund says it invests more than $4 billion annually in efforts against the three diseases and reports that its partnership has saved 72 million lives since its creation. Accountability note: The claim that prevention has been hit harder than treatment is attributed specifically to Global Fund chief Peter Sands, as reported by Reuters. It should not be presented as an independently calculated conclusion. Primary source: Reuters — Aid cuts hit disease prevention harder than treatment Additional source: Global Fund — 2026 Results Report and latest updates