PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release: November 20 2025
Contact: Asia Russell | +1 267 475 2645 | asia@healthgap.org
Activists Demand Macron Stop Deadly Move to Cut Life-Saving HIV, TB, and Malaria Programs
Emergency Protest at French Embassy
3:30 PM Nov. 20: 4101 Reservoir Rd NW Washington DC
(Washington DC) AIDS and public health activists today will protest at 3:30 PM at the French Embassy to the US, demanding President Emmanuel Macron promise that he will not permit cuts to France’s pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). In 2022 France pledged EURO 1.6 billion for 2023-2026, and is the second largest donor to the Global Fund. This year, Macron has refused to commit to maintain this pledge.
Yesterday news broke that Macron was clearly considering a deadly Global Fund budget cut, and that he was dodging a high level replenishment meeting for the Global Fund, taking place November 21 in Johannesburg, South Africa, despite already being in Johannesburg, for the G20 meeting and other commitments. Macron has so far snubbed the Global Fund meeting despite having staked his political career on standing in “solidarity” with billions of people fighting for access to lifesaving HIV, tuberculosis and malaria prevention and treatment.
“President Macron must not cut one euro for treatment, testing, prevention and care from the Global Fund,” said Asia Russell of Health GAP. “Funding cuts kill. Why is Macron afraid to show up next to his counterparts at the Global Fund Replenishment? The world is watching Macron; he won’t be able to escape condemnation for cutting Global Fund programs–this will be his legacy, unless he stops it.”
A fully funded Global Fund has never been more important, because of major funding disruptions and cuts caused by the Trump Administration’s retreat from global HIV and health funding. Massive Global Fund budget cuts would cause a double crisis, according to the activists. A recent study estimates that 22.6 million people could die as a result of both European and US funding cuts. In particular, the Global Fund continues to fund programs the US has aggressively defunded, such as biomedical and structural prevention interventions targeting criminalized and marginalized groups at much greater risk of HIV infection, such as sex workers, transgender people, people who use drugs, and lgbtq people. Trump has also eliminated prevention programs focused on women and girls, such as gender-based violence prevention programs and funding to help girls stay in school, both of which have demonstrable HIV prevention effects. The Global Fund, by contrast, has not eliminated such interventions.
“The human right to health is non-negotiable,” said Ahmed Muhammed of Housing Works. “President Macron must not rip prevention and treatment out of the hands of our communities, otherwise, there will be blood on his hands.”
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