Cote d'Ivoire: care for HIV/AIDS fully guaranteed despite suspension of U.S. aid
At the beginning of February, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which in 2024 committed 115 million dollars in aid to Cote d'Ivoire, where HIV/AIDS care has been free since 2008.
The care for people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in Cote d'Ivoire is "fully guaranteed" despite the suspension of U.S. funding, the Ivorian Ministry of Health said Wednesday.
"The care for HIV/AIDS is ensured and will continue to be," the ministry said in a statement in response to "concerns raised regarding a supposed shortage of antiretrovirals (ARVs)" following the suspension of U.S. funding.
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At the beginning of February, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which in 2024 committed 115 million dollars in aid to Cote d'Ivoire, where HIV/AIDS care has been free since 2008.
The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provides 75 percent of the antiretrovirals in Cote d'Ivoire.
"There is no disruption in antiretrovirals. The supply of ARVs is assured, and there is no shortage to report in Cote d'Ivoire," the health ministry statement said, noting that the government has "immediately deployed a contingency plan" to ensure continuity of care for people living with HIV."
Currently, available stocks cover a period of four months, and a strict monitoring system is in place to prevent any shortages," the statement said.
"A financing mechanism has been activated to mitigate the impact of the suspension of external funding."
"The government remains fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted access to treatment, testing, and support for patients," the statement said.
With about 400,000 people living with the virus in 2024, Cote d'Ivoire has made progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, achieving a 70 percent reduction in mortality related to the virus since 2010 and a decline in the prevalence rate, from 2.4 percent to 1.8 percent between 2020 and 2024.
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