March 16, 2026
US-funded HIV research conducted in Africa and other high-burden settings isn’t just a foreign aid story — it’s a direct driver of American public health gains. What gets discovered there impacts how healthcare is delivered here. It shapes the drugs Americans take, the guidelines their doctors follow, and the public health initiatives that serve the hardest-hit communities.
A new Health Affairs piece by Judith Auerbach, Jirair Ratevosian, and AVAC’s Mitchell Warren makes the case that cuts to US-supported global HIV research don’t just hurt partner countries. They undermine the scientific pipeline that delivers those advances to Americans most in need. As the Administration scales back global health investments, the US risks squandering decades of research returns just as they’re beginning to pay off.