Pandemic treaty negotiations ahead of the World Health Assembly in May show rising tensions, as countries push for equity in pathogen sharing, alongside the expansion of US bilateral health deals and the evolving role of the Global Fund within this shifting architecture. This issue also covers calls to declare recent US global health policy shifts a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, deepening instability at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and updates on US government bilateral agreements.

Pandemic Agreement Deadline Nears as Key Countries Put Equity at Center of Pathogen Sharing Negotiations

Negotiations on the Pandemic Agreement’s Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system entered a tense new phase. At the Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) meeting, tasked with negotiating and drafting the annex, many African and low- and middle-income countries pushed back on a revised draft of the PABS, rejecting elements of the text they say weaken commitments to equitable access, particularly around guarantees that countries sharing pathogen samples will receive timely access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments in return. The PABS annex “is intended to create a system for rapidly sharing pandemic pathogen samples and genetic data while significantly improving equitable access to vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for parties and better equipping the WHO and the international community to respond to future pandemics.”

IMPLICATIONS: Key African governments, with the support of civil society, have successfully forced a recalibration of negotiations, putting equity and sovereignty at the center of the debate over how pathogen data is shared and who benefits. If the PABS annex is not agreed upon by Saturday, it may not be presented in time for the World Health Assembly to ratify it in May. The EU member representative noted, “Without this annex, the Pandemic Agreement will not be open for signature, and ultimately, our collective capacity to effectively prevent, prepare and respond to future pandemics will be significantly reduced and limited.”

• Tense Start To Final Pandemic Agreement Talks As Africa Rejects New Draft Text –Health Policy Watch
• “We Mean Business”: Key African Countries Force Recalibration of the Negotiations on Pathogen Access Benefits Sharing System at the WHO—Geneva Health Files
• African CSOs call for equity as pathogen access talks hit final stretch—Devex

Experts Urge WHO to Declare US Policy Actions a Global Health Emergency

A group of global health and legal experts are calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare recent US policy actions, including the massive cuts to global health funding, withdrawal from the WHO, attempts to alter the US pediatric vaccination schedule and disruptions to programs like PEPFAR, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). These decisions constitute an “extraordinary event” under the International Health Regulations, they argue, which creates a high risk of cross-border disease spread even before outbreaks fully materialize. The authors warn that halted HIV, TB, malaria and vaccination programs could lead to millions of additional deaths by 2030, with early signs already visible in disrupted services and rising vulnerability across low- and middle-income countries.

IMPLICATIONS: It would be unprecedented for WHO to declare a PHEIC in response to political decisions and not specific pathogens. But even the consideration of it could catalyze urgent action to bring in more resources, enable tools like compulsory licensing to expand access to vaccines or other lifesaving medications and reinforce multilateral cooperation. Declaring a PHEIC could result in backlash from the US administration and further strain global institutions. Ultimately, this brings to light the shift underway: global health threats are driven by pathogens AND by policy choices. How existing systems adapt and those being reenvisioned respond to this new era of politically driven health emergencies will be telling.

• The United States is driving a public health emergency of international concern—BMJ

Continued Instability at US CDC Raises Concerns for US and Global Health

New developments within the US’ CDC underscore even deeper instability. Wednesday night marked the deadline for the US President to nominate a new CDC Director, but uncertainty remains as the administration missed the deadline. At a CDC staff meeting on Wednesday, Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya, who also leads the National Institutes of Health (NIH), told employees he would continue leading the agency by serving “in the capacity” of director during the process to identify and confirm a new director. STAT reports that in the staff meeting, Bhattacharya struck a different position from other administration officials, stating: “I think it is vital that every kid in this country get the measles vaccine—absolutely vital,” while urging staff to “remove politics” and “focus on what we know how to do.”

At the same time, turmoil continues within the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) following the departure of controversial committee member Robert Malone. This comes following last week’s ruling from a federal judge who blocked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to restructure the committee. RFK previously replaced all 17 members with a mix of anti-vaccine and anti-science representatives, including Malone. The ACIP remains unable to convene amid ongoing litigation. Adding to concerns, a recent New York Times investigation based on interviews with 43 current and former CDC employees describes staffing losses, political interference and a shift away from science-based decision-making, showing an agency under significant instability.

IMPLICATIONS: While Bhattacharya’s efforts to emphasize scientific norms this week may try to offer some reassurance, it’s clear week after week with the erosion of stability and independence, that there is intentionality to the dismantling of the CDC and its ability to effectively respond to current and future health threats. This will have ripple effects for global health governance and confidence in US scientific and health leadership.

• Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s C.D.C.—New York Times
• CDC vaccine adviser Malone steps down to avoid ‘drama’—Roll Call
• ACIP conflict is test of Trump’s support for RFK Jr.’s vaccine policy overhaul—STAT
• Kennedy’s Vaccine Agenda Hits Roadblocks, Diminishing His Clout—New York Times
• RFK Jr. Is Losing His Grip on the CDC—The Atlantic
• Bhattacharya addresses CDC director role, works to bolster staff morale in first all-hands meeting—STAT
• A leadership vacuum adds to strains on the CDC—NPR

US Bilateral Health MoUs Expand as Global Fund Steps In

Senegal became the 26th country overall and 21st in Africa to sign an agreement with the US as part of the $12.6 billion effort under the America First Global Health Strategy, with agreements combining US funding and domestic co-investment to support HIV, malaria and health system strengthening. At the same time, attention is turning to the role of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria within this new architecture. While not a formal party to the bilateral agreements, Devex reports that Global Fund experts have been involved in negotiations and implementation discussions, and its procurement platform is being considered as a mechanism to support broader commodity delivery and coordination.

IMPLICATIONS: The expansion and complexity of the US’ shift toward bilateral global health agreements is real. With reduced and restructured US funding, countries and advocates are increasingly looking to the Global Fund to help fill gaps, particularly for HIV services and key populations that may not be prioritized in bilateral agreements.

• What role will the Global Fund play in the US bilateral health deals—Devex
• U.S. aid returns to Africa as Senegal signs onto $12.6B health deal as 26th nation—Business Insider Africa

What’s New & Next in the HIV/AIDS Response

AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren joined Congressman Herb Conaway, Judith Feinberg, Greg Millett, and JD Davids at the SYNChronicity conference for a discussion on Opportunities, Controversies & Cruel Ironies. 

What We’re Reading

• Is PEPFAR about to run out of money?—Devex
• Another round—The Forsaken Substack
• This lab that’s determined to discover new drugs isn’t where you might expect—NPR
• Four truths about covid that have become clouded over time—Washington Post
• Le grand invité Afrique – Santé en Afrique: «Nous voulons que nos pathogènes, nos maladies, puissent être d’abord traités par les Africains—RFI
• US aid deals with religious element risk ‘fanning flames of division’—The Independent
• UK lays out the development priorities of a shrinking aid budget—Devex
• Waste, Fauci and ‘Transgender’ Mice: How MAGA Is Warming to Animal Rights—New York Times
• NIH grant terminations affected women scientists more than men, study finds—STAT
• Stop pretending USAID’s takedown was about doing development better—Devex
• Here’s what we know about Trump’s expanded Mexico City Policy—Devex
• America is getting sicker, not healthier, under Trump and RFK Jr. | Opinion—Newsweek
• The AI push in health care is deepening medicine’s trust crisis—STAT
• Artificial intelligence for public health in Africa: moving beyond pilots to public value—The Lancet Regional Health Africa
• Why the expanded global gag rule is a deadly triple tripwire for recipients of US foreign aid—The BMJ

The Impact Report highlights the power of advocacy, research translation, and partnership to advance HIV prevention and global health equity. In this first edition:

• The introduction of lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP in Zambia
• How AVAC and partners are standing up for science
• New efforts to translate evidence for decision making

Strengthening access planning: The launch of lenacapavir in Zambia

Zambia remains among the top ten countries most affected by HIV globally, despite significant progress over the past decade to reduce new infections. Sustaining these gains—and continuing to drive down incidence—requires ongoing prioritization of differentiated prevention methods that meet the diverse needs of communities. 

Against this backdrop, lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP, a six-month injectable, responds to community demands for flexible and acceptable prevention options. Just 18 months after groundbreaking Phase II trial results were announced at the AIDS 2024 conference, Zambia administered its first injections of LEN for PrEP at a World AIDS Day (WAD) commemoration on December 1, 2025. As one of five African countries to implement LEN to date (just months after the approval and launch in the US), this milestone represents a new record for speed in launching a new prevention product, and reflects the culmination of sustained advocacy and strong stakeholder collaboration. The progress made in reducing new HIV infections in Zambia can be attributed to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH’s) commitment to expanding the national prevention ‘basket of choices’—enabling meaningful collaboration across civil society groups, donors, product developers, and global advocates, aligned around a shared strategy to support LEN rollout. 

To support Zambia’s readiness for LEN introduction, AVAC provided targeted technical support while also laying critical groundwork across the region in anticipation of rollout. Leveraging its role as a global convener, leading advocacy voice, and secretariat of the Coalition to Accelerate Access to Long-Acting PrEP, AVAC helped align efforts across early adopter countries, including Zambia. 

Standing up for science: The fight to save HIV research

On March 7, 2026, advocates and concerned citizens observed a National Day of Action to Stand Up for Science, taking to streets, airwaves, and the internet to raise awareness about the ongoing threats posed to science and public health by the current US administration. In this environment, AVAC has continued to serve as a champion for research, and continuing to call on policymakers and donors to defend against harmful cuts that aim to dismantle US global leadership in biomedical research.

Since January 2025, AVAC and partners have defended the critical role of research. One of the greatest milestones in this defense was seen in rapid response to attacks by this administration, when AVAC worked with a volunteer coalition of the nation’s leading HIV researchers and advocates to organize and host the 24-Hour Marathon to Save AIDS Research. The virtual marathon provides 24-hours of interactive presentations, discussions, and learning sessions about the lifesaving contributions of HIV research and what is at stake if funding continues to be stripped away. Using convening  power, research expertise, and research translation, this group of dedicated individuals brought advocates and researchers together in solidarity and shared critical messages about why HIV research matters with the larger global community.

Bridging the gap between science and communities: Delivering accessible information and leading global conversations

In an era of misinformation and scientific skepticism, access to credible, clear information on HIV is critical. Principles of Good Participatory Practice (GPP) in research and rollout hinge on data being accessible, understandable, and actionable. Yet the gap persists between global scientific forums, like the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), and the information broader audiences can actually access, digest, and act on. To meet this need, AVAC translates complex science into accessible resources and ensures it reaches advocates, communities, and decision-makers to advance strong, community-centered HIV prevention research, policies, and rollout plans. From proactively disseminating resources for use at CROI, to convening real-time discussion spaces, and sharing digestible recaps and first-person perspectives from staff attending the conference, AVAC served as a key source for close watchers of HIV science news.

AVAC Impact Reports highlight the power of advocacy, research translation, and partnership to advance HIV prevention and global health equity. Read also about the introduction of lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP in Zambia and how AVAC and partners are standing up for science.

By Grace Tetteh

In an era of misinformation and scientific skepticism, access to credible, clear information on HIV is critical. Principles of Good Participatory Practice (GPP) in research and rollout hinge on data being accessible, understandable, and actionable. Yet the gap persists between global scientific forums, like the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), and the information broader audiences can actually access, digest, and act on. To meet this need, AVAC translates complex science into accessible resources and ensures it reaches advocates, communities, and decision-makers to advance strong, community-centered HIV prevention research, policies, and rollout plans. From proactively disseminating resources for use at CROI, to convening real-time discussion spaces, and sharing digestible recaps and first-person perspectives from staff attending the conference, AVAC served as a key source for close watchers of HIV science news. 

AVAC ensures the science of HIV research reaches a broad audience as the conference is unfolding. Each day during CROI, AVAC, EATG, Fiocruz, TAG, and other partners hosted Community Breakfast Clubs (CBC), virtual webinars featuring researchers and advocates breaking down important prevention, treatment and cure science presented at CROI and the implications for the field.  AVAC leveraged its network to coordinate high-level researchers and implementers into these curated sessions. Hosted each morning of the conference, the CBCs provide an accessible space for all, designed to extend conference conversations beyond the meeting itself, especially during a period of significantly heightened barriers to entering the United States.

These sessions are about connecting top researchers with advocates so communities can shape how HIV innovations are used on the ground. By creating this space, we make complex science accessible and ensure it meets the real needs of the people we serve.

Grace Kumwenda

AVAC

The sessions connected top experts in the fields of HIV prevention, cure, and treatment with attendees able to go deep, ask questions, and share perspectives rom their own contexts. Spaces like the CBCs help bridge the gap between HIV science and communities working to advocate for innovations that fit their realities.    

AVAC works with researchers, scholars, advocates and civil society members to develop and share resources that contextualize science at conferences like CROI. Speakers drawing from AVAC resources at CROI included Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker, Director of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and investigator on nearly every PrEP and HIV vaccine trial, who gave the opening session’s N’Galy-Mann Lecture, and Dr. Andrew Hill from the University of Liverpool who presented a Global Analysis of HIV Oral PrEP-to-Need Ratios in 2025. Dr. Raphael Landovitz from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Principal Investigator for the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) called AVAC infographics “an invaluable and terrific resource,” thanking AVAC for “historical and continued fierce advocacy and support.”  

When clear visuals are embedded in conference presentations and included in coverage, they reach people beyond those in the room — including journalists, advocates, and community members who find and use them long after the event ends.

AVAC Impact Reports highlight the power of advocacy, research translation, and partnership to advance HIV prevention and global health equity. Read also about the introduction of lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP and new efforts to translate evidence for decision making.

By Grace Tetteh

On March 7, 2026, advocates and concerned citizens observed a National Day of Action to Stand Up for Science, taking to streets, airwaves, and the internet to raise awareness about the ongoing threats posed to science and public health by the current US administration. In this environment, AVAC has continued to serve as a champion for research, and continuing to call on policymakers and donors to defend against harmful cuts that aim to dismantle US global leadership in biomedical research.  

Since January 2025, AVAC and partners have defended the critical role of research. One of the greatest milestones in this defense was seen in rapid response to attacks by this administration, when AVAC worked with a volunteer coalition of the nation’s leading HIV researchers and advocates to organize and host the 24-Hour Marathon to Save AIDS Research. The virtual marathon provides 24-hours of interactive presentations, discussions, and learning sessions about the lifesaving contributions of HIV research and what is at stake if funding continues to be stripped away. Using convening power, research expertise, and research translation, this group of dedicated individuals brought advocates and researchers together in solidarity and shared critical messages about why HIV research matters with the larger global community.  

The marathon has already reached more than 7,000 advocates, researchers, stakeholders, policy makers, journalists and community members from 28 countries and 30 U.S. states. The event featured 75 presenters representing major research institutions, public health organizations, civil society organizations and communities impacted by HIV all over the world, along with 42 endorsing organizations. The marathon covered a breadth of topics, including the legacy of innovation from HIV research;; the role of advocacy in an equitable and effective HIV response; the implications of intersecting and emerging epidemics; advances in prevention, treatment, vaccine and cure research; the growing portfolio of Africa-led HIV prevention research; innovative models for delivering care; and community movements to sustain access to HIV services. 

AVAC has also worked with the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Treatment Action Group (TAG) to launch the Research Matters effort, which has supported previously-funded NIH researchers, advocates, and professional organizations to sound the alarm on the government’s attacks on public health, scientific research, and science at large. By mobilizing leading voices in research, strengthening advocacy skills through teach-ins, tools, and resources, educating policy makers, and disseminating timely and accurate information to track the impact of cuts to HIV research, AVAC helped researchers and advocates bring critical messages about the urgency of reversing funding cuts and the real-world impact of breakthroughs in HIV research to a larger audience. 

As the field navigates the constantly evolving threats to science, AVAC will continue to do the critical work of tracking and translating the latest scientific and funding developments, and ensuring advocates are informed and supported in the ongoing fight to end HIV. Mitchell Warren, AVAC’s Executive Director affirmed, “Saving AIDS research is not a 24-hour exercise; it is a commitment from all of us involved to tackle this collective challenge.” 

AVAC Impact Reports highlight the power of advocacy, research translation, and partnership to advance HIV prevention and global health equity. Read also about how AVAC and partners are standing up for science and new efforts to translate evidence for decision making.

By Grace Tetteh

Zambia remains among the top ten countries most affected by HIV globally, despite significant progress over the past decade to reduce new infections. Sustaining these gains—and continuing to drive down incidence—requires ongoing prioritization of differentiated prevention methods that meet the diverse needs of communities. 

Against this backdrop, lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP, a six-month injectable, responds to community demands for flexible and acceptable prevention options. Just 18 months after groundbreaking Phase III trial results were announced at the AIDS 2024 conference, Zambia administered its first injections of LEN for PrEP at a World AIDS Day (WAD) commemoration on December 1, 2025. As one of five African countries to implement LEN to date (just months after the approval and launch in the US), this milestone represents a new record for speed in launching a new prevention product, and reflects the culmination of sustained advocacy and strong stakeholder collaboration. 

The progress made in reducing new HIV infections in Zambia can be attributed to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH’s) commitment to expanding the national prevention ‘basket of choices’—enabling meaningful collaboration across civil society groups, donors, product developers, and global advocates, aligned around a shared strategy to support LEN rollout. 

To support Zambia’s readiness for LEN introduction, AVAC provided targeted technical support while also laying critical groundwork across the region in anticipation of rollout. Leveraging its role as a global convener, leading advocacy voice, and secretariat of the Coalition to Accelerate Access to Long-Acting PrEP, AVAC helped align efforts across early adopter countries, including Zambia. 

For over a year, AVAC worked with MOHs, donors, implementing partners, technical assistance providers and civil society partners across 11 early-adopter countries to support introduction planning. AVAC launched a community of practice for MOHs, creating space for countries to share lessons, align approaches, and learn from one another. In parallel, AVAC partnered with civil society to support local consultation meetings on LEN, ensuring that community perspectives were reflected in national planning from the outset. Together, these efforts helped foster a more coordinated and country-led approach to rollout and ensured other countries could directly and rapidly learn from Zambia’s successful launch. 

In Zambia, AVAC complemented this regional coordination with direct technical support to update national PrEP guidelines, adapt social and behavioral change (SBC) materials, and train community mobilizers and clinical staff. These efforts also prioritized early demand generation, ensuring communities were informed, engaged, and ready to access LEN at launch. 

On the day of the launch, two people were initiated on LEN and by day five, 77 people had started, demonstrating early demand and the effectiveness of coordinated rollout and demand generation efforts. Beyond these initial numbers, this process has created a framework and strengthened systems for rapid introduction of future new options, improved coordination across partners, and reinforced the central role of communities in shaping prevention access. 

During the launch event, Idah Mulala, program manager at AVAC’s partner, Ascend Futures Foundation, reflected on her experience at the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) conference in 2024, where the PURPOSE 2 trial results were announced: “I remember asking one critical question [to panelists]: ‘At what cost will this option be made available, and when can communities expect access?’ One year later, I am proud to witness and be part of a historic moment. Lenacapavir is now available for use in Zambia.” 

The momentum for early approval and introduction of LEN across Africa has not slowed. To date, 12 African countries have approved LEN. Eswatini, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe have also launched LEN, while implementation science studies already launched in South Africa, as well as Brazil and the US with an additional project about to launch in Zambia. Other countries prioritized by Global Fund and PEPFAR for LEN introduction, including Lesotho, Mozambique, and Uganda, have received supply and are expected to introduce LEN imminently. 

For AVAC, celebrating the LEN launch on WAD 2025 marked 30 years of championing science, promoting community leadership, and advancing equitable access in the HIV response. Looking ahead, our newest collaboration with Access Bridge, an independent Kenya-based nonprofit incubated at AVAC, will further advance regional leadership as we carry this work forward. 

Lenacapavir comes at a time when communities need it most. We look forward to continuing to work with partners to ensure this momentum is not lost—and that the promise of speed, scale and equity in LEN introduction becomes the new normal for future HIV prevention options and all other global health technologies. 

From spotlighting the impact of US-supported HIV research to advancing the future of the HIV response; accelerating pediatric HIV cure research to shaping the global STI agenda, AVAC is driving and tracking the critical conversations defining HIV prevention and advocacy. Read on for this week’s resources and perspectives.

“International research is not an optional ‘add-on’ to the US HIV effort—it is a foundational engine of innovation, testing, and learning and it provides the scaffolding for creating a cascade of benefits for HIV management in the US and for research beyond HIV,” write University of California, San Francisco’s Judith Auerbach, Duke Global Health Institute’s Jirair Ratevosian and AVAC’s Mitchell Warren in a new Health Affairs piece. The authors highlight how US-supported international HIV research—particularly in African countries— delivers direct benefits to Americans, and why cuts to that research may undermine those benefits.

Practical Considerations for Pediatric Cure Research

AVAC Senior Program Manager Jessica Salzwedel joins leading HIV cure researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine on a new podcast discussing a recent publication on the ethics of pediatric HIV cure research, HIV Cure Research: Ethical and Real-World Practical Considerations for Pediatric and Adolescent Populations in the Journal of Pediatric Infectious Disease Society. The episode covers work born out of the PAVE Collaboratory, the only NIH-funded HIV cure research consortium focused on perinatal HIV. Learn more about AVAC’s broader cure portfolio.

AVAC and Access Bridge Join Kenya Health Integration Summit 2026 

At the Kenya Health Integration Summit, AVAC and its partner Access Bridge shared key insights on strategies to support KP integration and PrEP rollout, and strengthening people-centered health systems—underscoring the critical role of advocates and communities in driving progress. Together, AVAC and Access Bridge work to ensure effective scale-up of new prevention options while safeguarding equitable access for all populations amid a volatile funding landscape.

AVAC at AIDSWatch 2026 and SYNChronicity 2026

John Meade, AVAC Senior Program Manager for Policy, took the stage as a plenary speaker at AIDSWatch this week, where more than 600 advocates converged to push US Congress to support HIV research and programs. “The same forces dismantling PEPFAR and expanding the Global Gag Rule are also attacking LGBTQ+ people, public health and bodily autonomy here in the US,” said John, calling for coordination across domestic and global HIV advocacy movements.

Also this week, AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren joined Congressman Herb Conaway, Judith Feinberg, Greg Millett, and JD Davids at the SYNChronicity conference for an important discussion on What’s New & Next in the HIV/AIDS Response. Slides from his presentation are available.

AVAC’s Alison Footman to Co-Chair the 2026 STI Prevention Conference

Mark your calendars for the 2026 STI Prevention Conference in Atlanta from August 31-September 2. AVAC’s Senior Program manager, Alison Footman, who leads our STI program is co-chairing the meeting with Barbara Van Der Pol of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. At a critical moment for STI advocacy, this convening is designed to spark conversations and collaboration about prioritizing prevention strategies, service delivery models, research and policy approaches that are responsive to community needs as funding remains precarious.

Other Must See Resources From This Week

• Putting Communities First in HIV Research with Yvette Raphael — Global Health Unfiltered podcast
• CAB-LA: The prevention jab that never had its moment, and what it leaves behind as LEN arrives — Bhekisisa article by Ida Jooste
• Speeding Up Access to PrEP — AVAC infographic charting the time from efficacy results to key milestones for injectable LEN and CAB, the DVR and oral PrEP
• Gilead Could Potentially End HIV. But Will It Be Able To? — PharmaVoice
• 180,000 Infections in 2024, 47,000 by 2045 — If SA rolls out the twice-a-year HIV prevention jab fast enough — Bhekisisa

A US federal court blocked the US Administration’s efforts to overhaul the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) amid intensifying challenges to vaccine science, while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director sought to reassure lawmakers over funding delays and shifting research priorities. At the same time, the State Department quietly removed five “America First” health agreements from public access as scrutiny grows over Zambia’s draft MoU, and Argentina announced its intent to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Court Blocks ACIP Overhaul as Broader Challenges to Vaccine Science and Policy Intensify 

A US federal judge blocked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to overhaul pediatric vaccine policy and restructure the ACIP, a gold-standard panel of medical experts. RFK Jr. previously replaced 17 members of ACIP with a mix of anti-vaccine, anti-science representatives, and the ACIP subsequently began to undermine vaccine recommendations. Tuesday’s court ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by a number of leading public health organizations, arguing that the Administration’s actions bypassed established scientific and procedural safeguards, raising concerns about political interference in long-standing vaccine recommendation processes and policy. Read AVAC’s An Assault on Vaccine Science and Policy, and the Stakes for Global Health. Also this week, a US federal working group drafted a confidential report proposing the creation of a diagnostic category specifically for COVID-19 vaccine injuries and side effects to be reviewed by the recently restructured ACIP. 

IMPLICATIONS: The court ruling underscores the ongoing tension between political leadership and scientific governance in US public health institutions. By intervening, the court has temporarily safeguarded the integrity of evidence-based vaccine policy, but the dismantling of vaccine science and abdication of the country’s historic role as a leader in evidence-based public health continues. As AVAC’s Alison Footman PhD, MPH warned in an August statement, “These actions dangerously sow vaccine disinformation and mistrust, which has proliferated since the COVID-19 pandemic. Dangerous ideology results in dangerous policymaking, putting many lives at stake and complicating efforts to both discover and implement clinical and cost-effective interventions.”  

READ: 

• Judge Blocks RFK Jr.’s Overhaul of Vaccine Recommendations—MedPage Today  
• Federal judge puts RFK Jr.’s new vaccine schedule, advisers on ice—Politico  
• Fewer Americans trust government’s childhood vaccine recommendations: Survey—The Hill 
• Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.’s overhaul of vaccine policy—STAT  
• Judge Strikes Down Kennedy’s Vaccine Policies—New York Times 
• A New Level of Vaccine Purgatory—The Atlantic 
• Viewpoint: Uncertain victories mustn’t distract us from staying focused on defending health—CIDRAP 
• Federal judge blocks RFK Jr’s overhaul of vaccine recommendations—The Guardian 
• Confidential Report Calls for Sweeping Changes to Track Covid Vaccine Harms—New York Times 

NIH Director Testifies, Promises to Disburse Funds as Agency Calls for Input into Strategy 

US NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya testified on Tuesday at a closely watched House Appropriations hearing, acknowledging the slowdown in grantmaking and assuring lawmakers that the NIH will work to secure agreement from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to spend the full $48.7 billion NIH budget by the end of fiscal year 2026. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) raised the right issue: “I find it disconcerting that it took a congressional oversight hearing to prompt OMB to do what it should have done weeks ago.” A day prior, the NIH launched its first public webinar to solicit input on its next five-year strategic plan, signaling an effort to engage stakeholders in shaping future priorities. Yet, the NIH’s evolving approach to soliciting and funding research proposals (see last week’s Global Health Watch), including shifts in how projects are reviewed and prioritized, is being hotly debated. Join the next NIH strategy webinar April 8 and provide input to comments and suggestions on their “Framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031”. 

IMPLICATIONS: While NIH leadership is seeking to reassure Congress – and the research community – that funding will be fully deployed and that strategic planning remains inclusive, the slowdown in awards and changes to funding processes suggest otherwise. At a time when sustained investment and scientific independence are critical, short-term disruptions have lasting impact. Science does not operate with an on/off switch, it depends on sustained investment, stable institutions and trust. “When the Administration stops research funding abruptly, it rewinds scientific progress. It will take time and even more resources to get these studies back online—squandering the potential of future breakthroughs that are based on established, gold-standard science,” warned AVAC’s Stacey Hannah in an August statement.   

READ: 

• NIH pivots away from agency-directed science—Nature  
• White House lifts hold on NIH research spending—Science  
• NIH will spend its full budget this year, agency director promises House appropriators – STAT 
• NIH Director Sails Through House Appropriations Oversight Hearing—MedPage Today 
• US State Department not answering aid oversight questions—Devex   
• Bhattacharya Appropriation Oversight Hearing—Drug Monkey 

State Department Pulls “America First” Health MoUs as Zambia Draft Reveals Contentious Terms 

The US Department of State quietly and without explanation removed the five previously published Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with African countries from its website. This further limits transparency around the agreements, which were only posted publicly last week following pressure from civil society in the US and MoU partner countries. At the same time, analyses on Zambia’s draft MoU reveal significant funding reductions, co-financing requirements, and links to broader economic and mineral access negotiations.

IMPLICATIONS: The shift toward bilateral, co-financed “country ownership” models is increasingly highlighting significant cuts to US investments in global health, uneven disclosure, non-transparency and growing indications of transactional terms tied to broader geopolitical and economic interests. The quiet removal of the publicly available MoUs underscores a pattern of limited transparency and accountability, making it difficult for countries, civil society, and implementers to assess obligations, plan for continuity or respond to risks.

READ:  

• State Department Removes Controversial Health Agreements with African States from Website Without Explanation—Public Citizen 
• U.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access—New York Times  
• Zambia’s Draft Memorandum of Understanding With the U.S. Government: What Do We Know?—Health Gap
• The Department of State has an (even bigger) Accountability Problem—To End A Plague…Again Substack

Argentina Announces Plans to Depart from WHO

Argentina announced its intention to withdraw from the WHO, marking a significant shift in its global health engagement. The decision represents ongoing skepticism toward multilateral institutions and a push to reassert national control over health policy and financing. Argentina’s exit follows months of criticism of the WHO guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and closer ties with the White House.

IMPLICATIONS: Argentina’s withdrawal raises concerns about fragmentation in global health multilateralism and governance at a time when coordinated responses are essential. This is a broader trend in reduced support for multilateral health institutions, including the US’ decision last year to withdraw from the WHO, signaling growing strain on global cooperation at a critical moment for global health. For the HIV response and pandemic preparedness, reduced cooperation risks slowing responses to new and resurgent infectious diseases, undermining shared accountability, and complicating efforts to ensure equitable access to prevention, diagnostics and treatment worldwide. 

READ:

• Argentina says it will withdraw from the World Health Organization, echoing Trump—Associated Press 
• Argentina to withdraw from WHO after Trump exit, citing ‘deep differences’—Reuters
• Video: What Happens When the Next Pandemic Hits?—Georgetown University Global Health Institute 

“International research is not an optional ‘add-on’ to the US HIV effort—it is a foundational engine of innovation, testing, and learning and it provides the scaffolding for creating a cascade of benefits for HIV management in the US and for research beyond HIV,” write University of California, San Francisco’s Judith Auerbach, Duke Global Health Institute’s, Jirair Ratevosian, AVAC’s Mitchell Warren in a new Health Affairs commentary. 

What We’re Reading

• Pressure Builds as Pandemic Talks Reach Final Week with Little Consensus—Health Policy Watch
• After a Decade of Progress Against HIV, PrEP Enters a Precarious Era—JAMA
• White House Puts RFK Jr.’s HHS on Tighter Leash After MAHA Setbacks—Wall Street Journal
• United States is cutting ties with influential global cancer agency—Science
• The indirect — and sometimes surprising — benefits of vaccines—STAT
• Cambodia advances in HIV fight, but new infections continue—KHMER Times
• US pulls away from family planning. What about the $600M saved for it?—Devex
• New International Planned Parenthood chief steps in amid anti-rights surge—Devex
• Merging UNFPA and UN Women would undermine gender equality globally—Devex
• 180 000 infections in 2024, 47 000 by 2045 – if SA rolls out the twice-a-year prevention jab fast enough—Bhekisisa
• CAB-LA: The prevention jab that never had its moment, and what it leaves behind as LEN arrives—Bhekisisa
• Podcast: Putting communities first in HIV Research with Yvette Raphael—Global Health Unfiltered
• UK government axes flagship global health project—The Guardian
• Wellcome Report: Aid Cuts Catalyse Global Health Reform and Regional Cooperation—Health Policy Watch
• US State Department not answering aid oversight questions—Devex
• HIV Cure Research: Ethical and Real-World Practical Considerations for Pediatric and Adolescent Populations—Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
• How AI “Besties” in South Africa Are Changing Uptake of HIV Medication—Think Global Health

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.

Read the full piece.

This week, France sharply cut its contribution to the Global Fund, adding to the replenishment shortfall and broader strain on multilateral global health financing. Meanwhile, the US launched a new global health funding platform tied to bilateral agreements, even as delays in MoUs and shifting timelines continue uncertainty about service delivery under PEPFAR and what its future and the future of multilateralism looks like. Amid these shifts in global health architecture, The Lancet launched the inaugural issue of The Lancet Regional Health – Africa to elevate African leadership in health research and policy.

France Cuts Contribution to Global Fund

France, traditionally the second-largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has reportedly sharply reduced its pledge for the latest replenishment cycle. After increasing its support by 20% in each of the previous two cycles, France cut its contribution by 58%. This, combined with delays in a pledge from the European Commission and reductions in contributions from other major donors, brings the Fund well under its $18 billion target. As reported previously, the Global Fund Board approved $10.78 billion in country allocations for the 2027–2029 cycle and set aside $260 million in catalytic funding to accelerate access to innovations, including scale-up of lenacapavir for long-acting PrEP, new molecular tuberculosis diagnostics and improved malaria vector-control tools. 

IMPLICATIONS: France’s cut reflects a broader reduction in support for multilateral global health institutions at a time when the global health architecture is being reconstructed. As Health Policy Watch notes, “when it comes to healthcare, multilateralism has yielded many tangible benefits that are helping keep people alive. In a world where every country stands alone, these benefits will simply fall away.” Moving forward, the question is not only which multilateral organizations will be appropriately funded, but whether future global health partnerships can preserve the collective action needed to address HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and emerging health threats, and what forms those partnerships will take. 

READ:  

• Global Health Infrastructure Is Changing. Why Getting It Right Matters—Health Policy Watch
• Global Fund Faces $5bn Shortfall as France Slashes Support, EU Delays Pledge—Health Policy Watch

US Launches New Global Health Funding Platform as Bilateral MoUs and PEPFAR Timelines Pass

The US State Department launched the “Advancing Global Health” Annual Program Statement (APS), a new global health funding mechanism that could provide up to $4.5 billion into projects tied to the administration’s emerging bilateral health Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) agreements with partner countries. The platform is designed as a standing funding mechanism where international organizations, NGOs, universities and others can respond to targeted calls for grants and compete for funding awards between $500,000 to $250 million.

The US State Department also released the full text of MoUs with Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda. The documents do not include data and specimen-sharing provisions, and only five of the 24 signed agreements have been published, despite the deadline to finalize MoUs by December 31, 2025. This delay led to PEPFAR-supported countries, which have not yet signed agreements or secured funding under the MoUs, being granted a three-month extension to continue to receive funding at current levels. PEPFAR programs had previously been expected to stop operating after March 31, 2026, but the last-minute authorization allows funding to continue as MoUs are negotiated and implementation plans are completed in countries with signed MoUs. In addition, appropriated third quarter funds have not been transferred to global HIV programs administered by CDC, with buffer funds being used to cover costs, threatening services disruptions, and further destabilizing health systems.

IMPLICATIONS: These developments continue the shift toward bilateral global health funding tied to broad government-to-government agreements negotiated in conjunction with mineral rights, data access and other provisions under the “America First” framework. While the new APS could mobilize significant resources, limited transparency across the APS and MoUs, delays in finalizing agreements and transferring appropriated funds, lack of civil society engagement and unequitable terms, raise concerns about how smoothly the transition will unfold and to what degree politics and power dynamics are driving the model. The need for a last-minute three-month extension for PEPFAR programs further highlights the operational risks of this shift and raises serious concerns about further disruptions to HIV services.

READ:  

• Discomfort over US agreement—The Times Group (Malawi)
• US Bilateral Health Agreements Published Under the Case Act—Public Citizen
• Department of State Officially Releases 5 MoUs—To End a Plague…Again Substack
• PEPFAR’s Next Quarter Could Be Its Last—Health Security Policy Academy
• US launches $4.5B platform inviting NGO support for bilateral health deals—Devex
• The State Department Is Asking the World for New Global Health Ideas—Lights, Camera, Equity! Substack
• PEPFAR Bridge Plans Extended, Possibly Without New Money—To End a Plague…Again Substack
• US Clarifies Type of Health Data Requested in Zimbabwe Talks—Health Times (Zimbabwe)

The Lancet Launches New Journal to Elevate African Leadership in Global Health

The Lancet launched its inaugural issue of The Lancet Regional Health – Africa, a new publication to elevate African leadership in health research, policy and clinical practice. The journal aims to address longstanding imbalances by amplifying African voices and prioritizing research grounded in the lived experiences of communities, health systems and policymakers across the continent. A comment by Africa CDC colleagues reimagines a future global health architecture. 

IMPLICATIONS: Framed as part of a broader effort to decolonize, localize and re-center health and medical research, the journal will publish evidence and analysis on the issues most critical to African populations while challenging Western-centric paradigms that have historically dominated global health discussion and debate.  

READ:

• Amplifying African voices to lead science for better health—The Lancet Regional Health—Africa  

What We’re Reading

• VIDEO: USAID: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver—HBO
• Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to UN: Closing USAID was soft power suicide—BBC
• How Congress can restore the independence of US science—Nature
• UMR Releases Annual NIH Economic Impact Report: 2026 Update—United For Medical Research
• Scientists Get a Glimpse to How New Pandemics Are Made—New York Times
• Africa CDC and ECDC strengthen joint commitment to Global Health Security—Africa CDC
• A Motto for All Health Workers: Resist, Resist, Resist—The Nation
• How Public Health Lost The Narrative – And How It Can Win It Back—Health Policy Watch
• As Women’s Rights Falter Globally, US Moves To Weaken UN Support For Gender Equality—Health Policy Watch
• Botswana’s HIV services struggle—The Lancet
• Waste, Fauci and ‘Transgender’ Mice: How MAGA Is Warming to Animal Rights—New York Times
• Americans trust Fauci over RFK Jr. and career scientists over Trump officials—Ars Technica
• As controversial decisions mount, FDA shuns public advisory meetings—STAT 
• My CROI 2026 Notebook: Science, Surprises, and the Big Question of Choice—AVAC 
• CROI 2026: Hot Takes—AVAC 
• Preparing for AI-enabled Bioweapons—Project Syndicate

The last few weeks have been action-packed for HIV prevention (and for AVAC and partners), with unpacking data and discussions from CROI; injectable lenacapavir for PrEP (LEN) rolling out in a number of Eastern and Southern Africa countries; signings (and not) of “America First” Bilateral Health Agreements; and our latest quarterly STI and HIV updates. AVAC is tracking it all; see below for the key updates.

AVAC’s Year in Review — and the new Access Bridge

In case you missed it, AVAC just released its 2025 Year in Review, looking back at the organization’s impact throughout the year. The last year tested global health in unprecedented ways. AVAC showed up: helping protect hundreds of millions of dollars for global health; defending HIV programs and research; delivering trusted data, tools and analysis; and accelerating equitable access to innovations, like long-acting PrEP.

And just last week, we announced the launch of our Access Bridge partnership — a new Kenyan-based organization to work with AVAC and the field to accelerate product introduction and access.

CROI 2026

The annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) once again delivered a powerful mix of scientific progress and urgent warnings about the systems needed to turn real innovation into impact. From advances in HIV prevention, cure and treatment, new data on STI treatment and service delivery, the science pointed to expanding choice, but the discussion and debate underscored that scientific progress alone is not enough; sustainable funding, strong health systems and community leadership are essential to translate discovery into equitable access.

• Read new blogs from AVACers who were on the ground at CROI: check out Cindra Feuer’s Hot Takes & Grace Kumwenda’s My CROI Notebook.
• Read our roundups of key highlights (Days 1 & 2, Days 3 & 4).
• View recordings and resources from our community webinars with leading CROI presenters.

Latest Infographics: Lenacapavir Rollout Advances

Momentum continues to build around the rollout of LEN — the latest scientific breakthrough for HIV prevention. LEN delivery is ongoing in Eswatini and Zambia, it’s been launched in Kenya and Zimbabwe, and initial supply has entered Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda. AVAC, Access Bridge, and the Coalition to Accelerate Access to Long-Acting PrEP continue to track the progress. Here are the latest graphics.

Tracking the “America First” Bilateral Health Agreements

AVAC Board member Stephanie Psaki examines the emerging America First bilateral health Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and the questions they raise around financing, transparency and the future of global health engagement in this Think Global Health piece. AVAC and partners are tracking closely developments and their implications.

Follow our Global Health Watch newsletter every Friday for the latest updates and analysis. Sign up here.

AVAC’s Quarterly Updates on HIV and STIs

AVAC’s quarterly resources bring you the latest in biomedical HIV prevention research and STIs. The latest issue of PxWire showcases the status of access to oral PrEP with the best data available since the US foreign aid freeze disrupted PEPFAR operations beginning in January 2025.

The March issue of STI Watch focuses on a growing tension in the global STI response: real scientific and programmatic progress alongside persistent underinvestment, fragile systems and geopolitics.