Scientists Warn HIV Research Progress Could Be Halted Due To Cuts

The Washington Post (4/4, Nirappil) reported that the Administration last week “decimated HIV prevention programs across government health agencies after terminating hundreds of millions of dollars in grants for the next phase of the battle against the deadly virus.” Together, the cuts “threaten to halt progress in the use of a revolutionary HIV medication that made it possible to finally stymie one of the world’s most serious infectious diseases, according to researchers, medical providers and HIV advocacy groups.” The Post says the “fight against HIV gained significant momentum more than a decade ago with the approval of preventive medication known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is taken routinely and provides almost complete protection against infection from the virus.” However, “nearly two-thirds of the 1.2 million people at the greatest risk of contracting HIV infections are not on PrEP, health officials say.”