A Filipino youth activist said of trying to find funds to replace terminated U.S. assistance: “Our Secretary of Health has assured the public that they will scale their current initiatives with a goal of not being so dependent on international funding. But the reality is that some of the community-led projects that are most needed are not priorities.”
Date: 7/25
Region: East Asia & Pacific
Country: Philippines
Topic: Health, Gender Equality & Inclusion
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: According to UNAIDS, one of the programs cancelled as a consequence of the U.S. funding cuts was the EpiC-supported Free to be Youth Hub. This think tank developed culturally resonant HIV prevention and treatment support approaches specifically for young people, running 12 projects in the country. These included an academy for social media influencers, an innovative approach to HIV education, and a peer-led project to re-enroll youth who had stopped HIV treatment. While the youth involved have ramped up efforts to engage the private sector and foundations to replace funding lost, they have faced barriers.
This quote is attributed to Aaron James Villapando, co-chair of the Free to be Youth organization.
Source: UNAIDS