Funding dries up but Aids battle rages on

Communities rally to shoulder heavy load

- PORAMET TANGSATHAPORN

The International Aids Society (IAS) Conference 2025 (1A$2025), held recently, in Kigali, Rwanda, provided a platform for Thai civil groups to reflect on how the US president's funding freeze will affect their work and the lives of those they are trying to save.

Key populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women (TGW), sex workers (SW), migrant workers, and people who use drugs, have all benefited from programmes initiated by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The term key populations in public health refers to groups that are disproportionately affected by certain diseases, including HIV. Legal and social factors often affect their access to healthcare services.

But the funding freeze has obstructed plans initiated by civil society organisations globally in providing comprehensive healthcare to them and continuing their advocacy work against HIV/Aids-related stigmas, for example.

CAREMAT Foundation director Satayu Sittikarn said the agency has estimated — in conjunction with other civil society organisations working on HIV/Aids advocacy across Thailand — that between 10,000 and 30,000 individuals will be affected by the funding cuts, particularly in accessing HIV/Aids healthcare provided by community clinics.

“Many of the key populations prefer not to seek HIV/Aids healthcare from normal hospitals as they feel uncomfortable and are afraid of stigmatisation,” he added.

Fortunately, his organisation has only been partially affected, as it is supported by funding from the National Health Security Office (NHSO).