New US HIV agreements leave civil society and key populations on the sidelines
Activists protested at the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio, accusing the US government of disrupting PEPFAR programs and sidelining key populations. The protest highlights ongoing tensions between civil society groups and US global health policy shifts.
Why it matters
The conflict reflects broader concerns about the efficacy and inclusivity of US-funded global health initiatives and their impact on vulnerable communities.
The United States is “changing the model, not the mission” of its global HIV programmes, Jeff Graham, acting US Global AIDS Coordinator, told a pre-conference session organised by the US government at AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro on 26 July.
Minutes into his presentation, activists took the stage chanting “You lie, people die, restore PEPFAR now.”
“The last 16 months have been a public health emergency caused by your government's deadly disruptions in PEPFAR programming and global health aid, and we will not allow this fact to be erased,” Asia Russell, Executive Director of Health GAP, told Graham. “We will not allow our communities to be erased by your anti-science, anti-LGBTQ, anti-participation agenda.”
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