Trump administration tries again to institute rebates in 340B

The HIV/AIDS funding cuts during the Trump administration have had devastating consequences, as revealed by a new report. The study, conducted by the global HIV/AIDS nonprofit amfAR, surveyed over 166 organizations in 46 countries. The findings show that more than 1,700 treatment sites have closed globally, leaving many without access to vital services.

Notably, 73% of organizations serving particularly vulnerable groups, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, and those who use injection drugs, have discontinued at least one service. Furthermore, 63% of groups providing medication to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission have reported disruptions. Dr. Atul Gawande, a former USAID global health assistant administrator, expressed that these results confirm his expectations while highlighting the magnitude of the issue.

He emphasized that the collapse of American and international funding for HIV/AIDS has allowed HIV cases to resurface, particularly in countries like South Africa, which lost its partnership with the US in HIV matters. The report has sparked debate, with the State Department arguing that amfAR's methodology is flawed and that preventative and lifesaving treatments are still being delivered through alternative means.

However, Dr. Gawande maintains that the political choices made during the Trump administration have shifted focus away from ending HIV as a public health crisis by 2030, instead allowing the epidemic to resurge.