US says life-saving HIV treatment can continue during aid pause

WASHINGTON — 

The U.S. State Department said Saturday that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) -- the world's starring HIV inaugural -- was covered by a waiver for life-saving humanitarian assistance during a 90-day intermission successful overseas aid.

Just hours aft taking bureau connected Jan. 20, President Donald Trump ordered the intermission truthful overseas assistance contributions could beryllium reviewed to spot if they align with his "America First" overseas policy. The U.S. is the world's largest assistance donor.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially issued a waiver for exigency nutrient assistance and past Tuesday for life-saving medicine, aesculapian services, food, structure and subsistence help. However, the deficiency of item successful Trump's bid and the ensuing waivers has near assistance groups confused arsenic to whether their enactment tin continue.

So, Saturday the State Department's Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy issued a memo, seen by Reuters, clarifying that PEPFAR was covered by the Jan. 28 memo and spelling retired what activities were allowed.

These see life-saving HIV attraction and attraction services, including investigating and counseling, prevention and attraction of infections including tuberculosis (TB), laboratory services, and procurement and proviso concatenation for commodities/medicines. It besides allows prevention of mother-to-child transmission services.

"Any different activities not specifically mentioned successful this guidance whitethorn not beryllium resumed without explicit approval," it said.

More than 20 cardinal radical surviving with HIV, who correspond two-thirds of each radical surviving with the illness receiving attraction globally, are straight supported by PEPFAR.

Under Trump's overseas assistance pause, each payments by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) stopped Tuesday — for the archetypal clip since the fiscal twelvemonth began connected Oct. 1 — and person not resumed, according to U.S. Treasury data. On Monday USAID paid retired $8 cardinal and past week a full of $545 million.

The Trump medication is besides moving to portion a slimmed-down USAID of its independency and enactment it nether State Department control, 2 sources acquainted with the discussions said Friday, successful what would beryllium a important overhaul of however Washington allocates U.S. overseas aid.