The U.S. State Department clarified on Saturday that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—the world’s largest HIV initiative—is exempt from the 90-day pause on foreign aid ordered by President Donald Trump.
Shortly after taking office on January 20, Trump halted all foreign aid contributions for review under his "America First" policy. While emergency food aid was granted an exemption earlier, the lack of clarity left aid organizations uncertain about which programs could continue.
The State Department's Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy issued a formal memo confirming that PEPFAR remains operational, allowing for:
HIV care and treatment, including testing and counseling
Prevention and treatment of infections such as tuberculosis (TB)
Laboratory services and medicine supply chains
Mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention
The memo stated that all other activities not explicitly mentioned require express approval.
PEPFAR directly supports over 20 million people living with HIV worldwide, accounting for two-thirds of all those receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, the wider foreign aid freeze remains in place. As of Tuesday, all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) payments were suspended, marking the first halt in funding since October 1.
Additionally, sources indicate that the Trump administration is considering placing USAID under direct State Department control, a move that would significantly reshape U.S. foreign aid policy.
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Wildfires across England and Wales have reached their highest level on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, as firefighters struggle to contain outbreaks following a spell of extreme heat.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the sea passage "cannot be seized by tweet."
At least 47 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, triggering small tsunami waves and dozens of aftershocks, officials say.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to nearly 4,500, including more than 2,060 deaths. Delayed detection, weak surveillance, funding shortages and conflict have allowed the virus to spread faster than in any previous epidemic at the same stage.
Australia warned on Monday (3 August) of a wider spread of H5N1 bird flu after its first confirmed mass mortality event among seabirds killed about 50 greater crested terns off the coast of South Australia, south of Adelaide.
Cancer patients in Sudan are struggling to access life-saving treatment as soaring medication costs, power shortages and damaged hospital infrastructure deepen the country's healthcare crisis after more than three years of war.
The world risks a resurgence of the HIV epidemic after international funding fell by nearly a fifth last year, according to a new report from UNAIDS, which warned that decades of progress against the disease could be reversed without renewed global support.
A global shift towards healthier diets, more efficient farming and reduced food waste could cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture-related land-use change by 85% by 2050, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature.
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