Cuts under the Trump administration have gutted the PEPFAR program

By Darian Woods

Published June 27, 2025 at 4:11 AM EDT

In 2003 George W. Bush set up the global health initiative PEPFAR in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Over the last couple of decades, it's saved millions of lives for relatively little money. But cuts under the Trump administration have gutted the program. An estimated 70,000 people have died already due to the cutbacks. We speak to journalist Jon Cohen who visited Eswatini and Lesotho to learn about the suspended program's effects on the ground.

Darian Woods

Darian Woods is a reporter and producer for The Indicator from Planet Money. He blends economics, journalism, and an ear for audio to tell stories that explain the global economy. He's reported on the time the world got together and solved a climate crisis, vaccine intellectual property explained through cake baking, and how Kit Kat bars reveal hidden economic forces.

See stories by Darian Woods

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