Cuts in financial support from the United States are putting HIV treatment programs in Ukraine at serious risk, potentially disrupting therapy for over 92,000 patients. This represents approximately 78% of all people receiving antiretroviral treatment in the country.
Ukraine, which has been suffering from Russian military aggression for over three years, is now facing new challenges in the healthcare sector. In particular, reduced financial support from the U.S. may have severe consequences for HIV response programs, UNAIDS emphasizes.
In 2023–2024, the United States, through the PEPFAR program, provided Ukraine with $15.6 million for HIV efforts, including $11 million for medication procurement and $2 million for testing systems. However, in January 2025, the new U.S. administration temporarily suspended foreign aid, raising concerns about the stability of medication supplies.
Currently, stocks of key medications — including TLD (a combination of tenofovir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir) — are sufficient for only 5.2 months, depending on the region. Patients are receiving only three months’ worth of medication instead of the usual six, increasing the risk of treatment interruptions.
Ukraine’s healthcare system is actively seeking alternative sources of funding, including reprogramming Global Fund resources, private sector donations, and purchasing medicines from pharmaceutical companies. However, even these combined measures may not fully cover the shortfall if the U.S. completely withdraws support.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine is showing resilience in the fight against HIV. In 2024, the number of HIV tests increased by 23% compared to the previous year. Still, the collection of epidemiological data is hampered by the ongoing war, loss of control over some territories, and mass displacement of people.
Nevertheless, Ukraine remains committed to combating HIV, relying on a coalition of government bodies, civil society, international organizations, and donors. In response to the shortage of diagnostic tests, civil society organizations and local healthcare facilities have initiated the internal redistribution of HIV rapid testing kits, purchased using local and regional budgets and other public programs.
Civil society platforms have been actively calling on the government and international donors to act by submitting urgent appeals for temporary humanitarian shipments of antiretroviral (ARV) medications and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and by coordinating with Global Fund implementers (such as 100% Life and the Alliance for Public Health) to monitor the distribution of HIV tests and PrEP supplies.
UNAIDS is calling for urgent action to ensure treatment continuity and patient support in Ukraine. “Ukraine is in crisis, and HIV treatment services are under serious threat. We must act now to save lives by ensuring the continuity of care,” stressed Eamonn Murphy, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.