Feature Story

Impact of US funding cuts on HIV programmes in Togo 

03 апреля 2025

Immediate risks and disruptions 

  1. Documented impact on services:
  • Reduced availability of PrEP; suspension of HIV prevention education and awareness campaigns, and decreased access to HIV testing and counselling services for key populations. 
  • Disruption of the distribution of condoms, lubricating gel, antiretroviral drugs.
  • All programmes on stigma and discrimination funded by the US Government have stopped.  
  1. Disruption of HIV data collection:
  • Cessation of data entry at PEPFAR sites, leading to a disruption in HIV data collection.
  1. Decrease in viral load testing:
  • Viral load testing has decreased due to the slowdown in services at PEPFAR-funded sites.
  1. Stock concerns:
  • Concerns about stock-out of HIV test kits within 3-6 months.
  • Condom stocks are sufficient for 1-3 months; but there is a need for 800,000 condoms per month, with funding for procurement being a concern.
  1. International NGO-run services:
  • All services run by international NGOs funded by US Government/PEPFAR have stopped. 

Politically relevant updates 

  1. Government actions:
  • The National Programme for the Fight against HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections has conducted an analysis of service provision, commodity availability, and human resources.
  • The National Council for the Fight against AIDS sent an information note to the President and the Ministry of Health.
  • Advocacy efforts with other technical and financial partners to mobilize resources to fill gaps.
  • Integration of HIV services into other health services is being worked on by the government.
  • The government is funding 55 operational sites and 142 mediators.
  1. Civil society impact:
  • Civil society has assessed financial, programmatic, and human resources gaps.
  • Consultation meetings with the National Program for the Fight against HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections and implementation of a roadmap. 

Impact 

  1. Impact of USAID funding suspension:
  • 11,000 people living with HIV will lose access to antiretroviral treatment.
  • 24,769 people living with HIV will no longer have access to viral load testing.
  • 10,000 individuals, including pregnant women and their children, will miss out on testing.
  • 203 project staff are facing technical unemployment since January 2025.
  1. Current financial gaps:
  • Togo faces a financial gap of 2.1 billion FCFA (West African CFA franc) for 2025, with 1.6 billion FCFA needed for antiretroviral medications and reagents.
  1. Proposed solutions:
  • Increase the state budget line for health from 2.5 billion FCFA to 5 billion FCFA.
  • Include HIV as a chronic disease in the universal health insurance mechanism to ensure sustainable domestic funding. 

UN response 

  • The UNAIDS Country Office is meeting with networks of people living with HIV and key populations, and a country-level task team is in place, including representatives from people living with HIV and key population networks.