Immediate Risks and Disruptions

• The US waiver allowing the continuation of lifesaving treatment and the court order allowing CDC-led activities to resume resulted in the resumption of the provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART) and prevention of vertical transmission of HIV.
  • Activities for key populations, HIV-prevention, human rights, and community-led monitoring (CLM) have ceased.
  • Contracts providing support to national civil society organizations (CSOs) have been terminated. National implementing partners like Espace Confiance, ASAPSU, and Blety ceased all activities supported by the USAID in March.

Politically Relevant Updates

1. Government actions:
   • The government has requested a rapid analysis of the financial gap following the cessation of US funding (internal report not yet available).
   • The Ministry of Health issued a directive on service continuity, ensuring access to ARV care and other services.
   • An antiretroviral order planning meeting has been held. ARV stocks have been secured for the next 4 months and an order schedule for the remaining part of the year has been agreed.

   • The CIPHIA (Côte d'Ivoire Population-based HIV Impact Assessment) survey has resumed, with final report availability expected by the end of September 2025.

      

2. Civil Society Response:
   • Civil society organizations have launched an advocacy campaign, including a letter to the president, press conferences, and media interviews calling for continued support and funding for HIV programmes, including sustainable financing of civil society and community-led responses

   • Temporary measures have been implemented to maintain services and staff in certain NGOs, including minimal service, part-time contracts, and salary reductions. However, these measures cannot be sustained in the absence of additional funding. CSO are working on developing funding proposals.

      

3. UN Involvement:
   • The UN has met with civil society and is in ongoing dialogue with CSOs re the impact and mitigation measures.
   • UNAIDS has produced and shared short videos of interviews with community leaders and beneficiaries; they have garnered more than 4000 views on social networks.
   • Government officials have been informed, sensitized, and mobilized on the impact and the need for a coordinated and systematic response. This included using UNAIDS GOALS impact model on new HIV infections and HIV related deaths in absence of a comprehensive response.
   • An analytical technical note on the impact of the US funding cuts and recommendations for mitigation strategies was produced and shared with government officials.
   • The UNAIDS Rapid AIDS Financing Tool (RAFT) has been shared and promoted with various government offices, including the Directorate General of Health, Directorate of Health Economics, National AIDS Control Program, and the prime minister's office.
   • Resources have been mobilized from various sources to ensure the continuation of critical UNAIDS activities: Expertise France for technical assistance on the sustainability roadmap, reprogramming of CDC cooperation agreement activities for approximately 150,000 USD (Expertise France, BMGF, GF/GC7 grant).