Additional Context: The Clinton Health Access Initiative explains that funding disruptions have disproportionately affected the specialized diagnostics and treatments required to identify and care for people living with advanced HIV disease, or AHD. Compared to 2024 averages, CD4 testing volumes declined by 35 percent in 2025, representing approximately 236,000 fewer CD4 tests across six countries. These disruptions risk delaying identification of those with advanced disease, therefore undermining access to the broader package of AHD care and opportunistic infection screening.

Devex Researcher Note: CD4 cells are white blood cells that coordinate your immune system. HIV specifically targets and destroys these cells. The World Health Organization, or WHO, defines AHD as CD4 cell count <200cells/mm3 or WHO stage 3 or 4 in adults and adolescents. All children younger than five years of age are considered to have advanced HIV disease. CD4 cell count testing, while no longer needed to initiate treatment, remains an essential tool for identifying people with AHD.

Source: CHAI