Policy Brief
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Strengthening National Leadership for Sustainable HIV Programs: A Policy Brief for Government Leaders
Recent pauses and restrictions in U.S. foreign assistance through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have led to a critical turning point in the global HIV response. Governments and communities report widespread HIV-focused clinic closures, layoffs of essential staff, service disruptions, and shortages of essential HIV prevention and treatment commodities. These disruptions have highlighted the vulnerability of national HIV programs that depend heavily on external support, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable, integrated, and nationally led solutions to safeguard progress in the fight against HIV.​
This policy brief presents a position statement from senior government and civil society leaders, donors, and other partners who participated in the Sustainable HIV Prevention Initiative Convening, held in Lilongwe, Malawi, on February 18–19, 2025 and hosted by the Government of Malawi and co-chaired by Dr. Beatrice Matanje, CEO of Malawi’s National AIDS Commission (NAC); Dr. Lilian Chunda, Chief of Health Services at Malawi’s Ministry of Health; and Dr. Charles B. Holmes, Prof. and Director of Georgetown University’s Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH). The policy brief outlines priority recommendations and effective policy options for governments navigating external funding transitions, including increasing domestic and innovative financing, accelerated integration of HIV services into national health systems and primary care, and ensuring the continuation of people-centered HIV services, including prevention, for key and vulnerable populations. This is the time for bold actions from governments to stay on course to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.​