This new paper does not look specifically at health information, but estimates the 'likely deadly consequences associated with a 90-day pause in PEPFAR funding', associated with failure to continue antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV.
CITATION: By executive order: The likely deadly consequences associated with a 90-day pause in PEPFAR funding
Khai Hoan Tram, Jirair Ratevosian, Chris Beyrer
Journal of International AIDS Society
First published: 25 February 2025 https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26431
'On 20 January 2025, the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order instating a 90-day pause on new U.S. foreign assistance, pending a review for alignment with U.S. foreign policy. Four days later, the U.S. State Department issued a “stop order” directive, expanding the pause to include a freeze on all foreign aid programmes, including the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) [1]. By 1 February, PEPFAR received a limited waiver for life-saving HIV care and treatment services and prevention programmes to prevent vertical transmission. While this waiver signalled hope to millions, it did not release immediate funding to implementing partners, prolonging confusion and disruption on the ground. Ongoing uncertainty around PEPFAR funding has interfered with critical HIV programmes that rely on long-term planning, making it impossible to operate effectively and sustain life-saving services...
'By our conservative estimate, the human cost of the new administration's proposed 90-day policy review would be at least 100,000 lives lost over 1 year.'
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org