The U.S. government withheld 30% of scheduled funding from four major HIV clinical trial networks, cutting roughly $90 million over six months and restricting their ability to conduct research at international sites in countries with the world's highest HIV burdens.
Date: 5/25
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Health, Research & Development
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Entry Type: System Impact
Additional Context: These four NIH Division of AIDS, or DAIDS, networks — ACTG, HPTN, HVTN, and IMPAACT — operate globally, running clinical trials on HIV treatment, prevention, and vaccines across dozens of countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The funding was withheld from their routine grant awards in 2025 as part of the broader Trump administration rollback of U.S. foreign assistance and research spending.
Devex Researcher Note: Because the cuts specifically restricted international research activities, sites in countries like South Africa faced immediate consequences — including staff layoffs — and thousands of people already enrolled in active trials were left in legal and ethical limbo without proper safety monitoring.
Source: AVAC