Episode
Exploring HIV/AIDS Funding Cuts and Emerging Needs
- Podcast
- GiveWell Conversations
- Published
- Jun 5, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1657
- Processing state
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- https://share.transistor.fm/s/c123cc78
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Summary
The US government has historically been a major funder of HIV/AIDS programs, providing around $5 to $6 billion annually through PEPFAR and other initiatives. With anticipated major reductions in US government foreign aid, including potential cuts of 20% to 50% to HIV/AIDS funding, GiveWell is assessing where new, cost-effective needs might emerge. GiveWell aims to find programs where additional funding can have the greatest impact. While HIV/AIDS has not historically been a focus for GiveWell due to substantial US government support, the current funding cuts might lead to potential cost-effective opportunities within HIV/AIDS programming. In the latest episode in our podcast series , GiveWell CEO and co-founder Elie Hassenfeld speaks with Program Officer Alice Redfern about our initial exploration into HIV/AIDS programming. Elie and Alice discuss: Prevention programs for high-risk populations: While HIV/AIDS treatment and mother-to-child prevention programs are likely to retain funding, prevention programs targeting other high-risk groups have already seen significant cuts and program cancellations. GiveWell is focused on finding cost-effective opportunities within HIV/AIDS programming, and prevention efforts targeting high-transmission populations offer the greatest potential to reduce overall infection rates. The challenge of finding cost-effective opportunities: Unlike GiveWell’s typical approach of broad coverage in a targeted geography (like distributing malaria nets to all children under five in high-burden areas), HIV prevention requires targeting high-risk populations to be cost-effective. This creates a complex “search problem” of identifying programs that efficiently reach these populations in areas with high transmission rates. Promising innovations on the h…