US spells out life-saving HIV treatment that can continue during aid pause

FILE PHOTO: A medical clinic officer examines an unidentified transgender and LGBTQ member, who is one of their patients at the Ice Breakers Uganda (IBU) clinic in Makindye that supports HIV/AIDS programmes and treatment for the LGBTQ community in Salaama road, Kampala, Uganda June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Saturday that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — the world's leading HIV initiative - was covered by a waiver for life-saving humanitarian assistance during a 90-day pause in foreign aid.

Just hours after taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump ordered the pause so foreign aid contributions could be reviewed to see if they align with his "America First" foreign policy. The U.S. is the world's largest aid donor.