Report: DOGE to cut federal HIV prevention program
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may be planning to eliminate federal funding used to treat and prevent HIV and AIDS domestically, a report claims.
According to coverage in the Wall Street Journal, cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could mean slimming down the efforts to control the virus. The outlet cites “people familiar with the matter” as the basis for its report.
In 2023, HHS spent roughly $1.3 billion on the prevention of contagious illnesses, including HIV, according to data on the agency’s website. However, as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—on behalf of President Donald Trump’s administration—advises sweeping cuts to healthcare, many of those programs are reportedly being eliminated.
At present, the CDC leverages local and state surveillance programs to monitor the spread of HIV and deploy interventions through community outreach. A spokesperson for the health department told journalists that the program is being monitored for potential downsizing, though no “final decision on streamlining CDC’s HIV Prevention Division has been made.”
For now, the future of federal support dedicated to the 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with HIV remains uncertain. According to HHS statistics, as many as 13% of Americans infected with HIV remain unaware they have the virus.
HealthExec reached out to the CDC for comment.
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Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.