Fewer children got US-backed HIV treatment after aid cuts, study finds

Fewer children received U.S.-backed HIV treatment after aid cuts, a new study shows, with about 77,000 fewer children treated worldwide in the year to October 2025 than in the prior fiscal year. The research, presented at AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, analyzed U.S. government data tied to PEPFAR and found U.S.-supported paediatric HIV treatment fell by roughly 14% year-on-year. The study covered only care supported by the United States, so some children may have been treated through national programmes or other donors. The steepest absolute decline was in South Africa, down about 30,000 (45%), followed by Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi. In five countries, declines were sharper than expected, including Uganda, Haiti, Zambia, South Africa and Kenya.