New data on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, show a mixed picture after disruptions to the program’s global HIV services.
PEPFAR treated roughly the same number of people in the final quarter of 2025 as it did during the same period in 2024. The program, started in 2003, has been credited with saving millions of lives by supporting HIV treatment, testing, and prevention in countries with high HIV burdens.
Other indicators moved in the wrong direction. HIV testing supported by the program fell from 21.9 million people in the last quarter of 2024 to 17.2 million in the final quarter of 2025. New HIV diagnoses also fell, from 385,000 to 307,000, a change experts warned may reflect fewer tests rather than fewer infections. Reports also described fewer infants treated for HIV and a decline in preventive medication use.
The declines followed major disruptions in 2025, when foreign aid activities were paused and restarted. Even temporary interruptions can affect clinic networks, supply chains, outreach workers, and patient trust. HIV programs depend on continuity, especially for testing, prevention, maternal-child services, and treatment access.
The data underline a basic public health principle: treatment numbers alone do not show whether an HIV program is controlling transmission. Testing, prevention, early diagnosis, infant care, and services for people at higher risk are all necessary. Advocates are calling for more complete and regular public reporting so programs can identify gaps quickly and protect progress against HIV.