At the Aids 2026 conference held on August 1, 2026, Brazilian HIV advocates emphasized the importance of health systems becoming more independent from foreign funding. Advocates from Brazil, whose health system operates without reliance on foreign aid, stated they had anticipated a significant reduction in donor funding for HIV programs and expressed a wish that other countries had prioritized independence earlier.
Juliana Cesar, political liaison coordinator for the Brazilian HIV NGO Gestos, remarked that while the dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) might "feel like a rupture," it was an expected development that their organization had foreseen for some time. Cesar made these comments during a session at the conference in Rio de Janeiro.
The advocates' perspective underscores a growing concern about the sustainability of HIV health programs globally as donor funding landscapes shift.
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