Research and policy paper: How funding cuts are reversing progress on HIV and malaria, and what the EU should do
Aidsfonds and Friends of the Global Fund Europe commissioned research on the impact of global health funding cuts in Uganda, Nigeria, and Mozambique. Conducted by Lesley Odendal, the study combines interviews and data from sources including PEPFAR, UNAIDS, and the Global Fund to examine the consequences for HIV and malaria programmes.
Drawing on these findings, Aidsfonds and Friends of the Global Fund have developed a policy brief for EU policymakers.
Key findings
Global health financing is contracting at the fastest rate in a generation. Funding cuts are already disrupting HIV and malaria services, with prevention programmes and community-led organisations hit hardest. Without urgent action, the world risks reversing decades of progress against HIV and malaria.
What we ask of the EU:
- Maintain the Global Europe Instrument at €200 billion and strengthen ODA targets for human development and gender equality.
- Deliver Global Fund contributions in full and on time.
- Provide direct, multi-year funding to community-led organisations.
- Invest in country-led health systems with realistic transition planning.
- Champion human rights – including for LGBTQ+ communities, sex workers, and people who use drugs – as a structural condition for health.
- Address structural barriers to access, including through investment in resilient regional supply systems for medicines and health commodities.