President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

The United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the global health funding by the United States to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease. As of 2023, PEPFAR has saved over 25 million lives, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Launched by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003, as of August 2024, PEPFAR has provided cumulative funding of $120 billion for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research since its inception, making it the largest commitment by any nation focused on a single disease in history. PEPFAR is implemented by a combination of U.S. government agencies in over 50 countries and overseen by the Global AIDS Coordinator at the United States Department of State.

The PEPFAR program has in recent years been criticized by members of the Republican Party who have sought to block its re-authorization. Republicans alleged that the program promoted abortion. In 2025, the second administration of President Donald Trump put USAID on a 90-day freeze which involved putting PEPFAR on halt and taking its computer systems offline.

On January 28, 2025, the Trump administration granted a waiver for essential medicines and medical services which included HIV medicines. However, on the ground, PEPFAR did not seem to restart.

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