❓WHAT HAPPENED: Gay men in African nations have blamed difficulties accessing HIV prevention medication on foreign aid cuts enacted by the Trump administration, rather than African governments or their own behavior.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russell Vought, public health officials, gay Africans, and African governments.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Since President Trump’s inauguration, with impacts felt in countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I equally blame the Trump administration because, you know, these things were available, and then, without prior notice, these things were cut off.” – Emmanuel Cherem, Nigerian citizen.
🎯IMPACT: If gay African men are unwilling to change their behavior, African governments, the African Union, and liberal governments in the European Union (EU), Canada, and elsewhere might have to step up to fund the medication, instead of relying on American taxpayers.
Gay men in African nations are claiming increased HIV diagnoses due to the Trump administration’s decision to cut foreign aid funding, particularly for HIV/AIDS prevention programs, rather than their own risky sexual behavior. The cuts have allegedly limited access to medications such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 99 percent, though it remains unclear why African countries or the African Union have not funded the drug themselves.
Emmanuel Cherem, a 25-year-old from Nigeria, an oil-rich state and one of Africa’s largest economies, stated that he tested positive for HIV two months after losing access to the drug. “I blame myself [but] I equally blame the Trump administration because, you know, these things were available, and then, without prior notice, these things were cut off.” He did not explain why American taxpayers should have a particular responsibility to stop him from catching HIV.
The Trump administration paused foreign development assistance on the President’s first day in office, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio issuing a “stop work order” for the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance. Programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) saw significant funding reductions, with prevention efforts now focused on pregnant and lactating women who may pass HIV to their children. LGBT individuals unwilling to take precautions and prostitutes are no longer a main focus.
During a visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Donald J. Trump defended the cuts, stating, “Hopefully a lot of people are going to start spending a lot of money. I’ve talked to other nations. We want them to chip in and spend money too, and we’ve spent a lot. And it’s a big—it’s a tremendous problem going on in many countries.”
Public health officials, including Linda-Gail Bekker of the University of Cape Town, have expressed concerns that African nations may not be able to fill the funding gap, potentially leading to increased HIV transmission rates. UNAIDS has noted that countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique were heavily reliant on U.S. funding for HIV prevention measures—though all fall under the umbrella of the African Union, and it is unclear why other relatively wealthy nations in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere could not fund the measures instead of America.
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