USAID programs that provided pre-exposure prophylaxis, HIV counseling, and testing for adolescent girls and key populations, have been abruptly paused or reduced and threaten progress in ending the HIV epidemic in Kenya. There are reports that some of the girls who participated in USAID DREAMS program, which ensured that 66,000 girls remained HIV-free over three years, have started to engage in sex work for survival after this vital support ended.
Date: 7/25
Region: Africa
Country: Kenya
Topic: Health
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Additional Context: Between May and June 2025, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) conducted a rapid qualitative assessment to understand how the U.S. cuts to global health funding have affected the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of health care and services in Kenya. As part of this research, PHR engaged 30 respondents from 10 counties across Kenya through interviews, anonymous surveys, and WhatsApp communications to capture data to understand the impact of the global health funding cuts in Kenya. Respondents included clinicians, nurses, peer educators, survivor advocates, and community-based organizations/NGO staff.
This information was first published in a July 2025 research brief by Physicians for Human Rights, entitled: "The System is Folding in on Itself: The Impact of U.S. Global Health Funding Cuts in Kenya"
Source: Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)