Tajikistan is no longer experiencing a shortage of HIV treatment drugs, despite reductions in international aid programs. This was confirmed by Ramshed Kholnazarov, Deputy Director of the Republican Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, who emphasized that the country continues to provide essential medications and medical services to people living with HIV.
Since 2025, the government has begun financing the procurement of antiretroviral drugs from the national budget in response to cuts in international aid, including USAID programs. Previously, the Global Fund fully funded the purchase of HIV drugs. In 2025, the government allocated funds for drug procurement, as well as for HIV prevention, diagnosis, and social support, including medications for opportunistic infections, diagnostic tests, and milk formula for children.
“Tajikistan has made a strategic decision to gradually transition to self-sufficiency in the procurement of HIV treatment drugs,” Kholnazarov stated, adding that the country plans to increase funding by 10-20% annually.
HIV and hepatitis C treatment plans
In 2025, Tajikistan submitted an application to the Global Fund for drug procurement to support patients in the second half of 2026 and the first half of 2027. The application was approved, and procurement will begin soon. Additionally, under the current Global Fund grant, treatment for hepatitis C among people living with HIV is set to begin in March 2025, with 1,000 patients receiving treatment.
Kholnazarov also noted that food support for people living with HIV is no longer financed by donor organizations. However, the government provides a monthly food allowance for children with HIV.
12,000 people receiving HIV treatment
Currently, more than 12,000 people are receiving HIV treatment in Tajikistan. The country has 67 AIDS centers, 15 clinics in Dushanbe, and 36 primary healthcare facilities across the republic providing HIV treatment.
Tajikistan has also been conducting HIV rapid testing, with preliminary results, and patients are referred for further testing, with the final diagnosis confirmed after three stages of examination.
U.S. aid to Tajikistan via USAID
Since 1992, Tajikistan has received over $2 billion in aid through USAID, including substantial funding for HIV/AIDS efforts. In 2024, USAID allocated $58.5 million to Tajikistan. However, the reduction in funding could affect future progress in HIV prevention and treatment.
According to UNAIDS, the global fight against HIV has made significant progress, reducing mortality by 50% since 2010. However, cuts in international funding risk undoing these gains, potentially leading to more infections and deaths.
Funding cuts could undermine progress in the fight against HIV
The global fight against HIV achieved historic results in 2024, with mortality rates halved compared to 2010, and the number of new cases decreased by 40%. Significant progress was also made in Tajikistan, where HIV-related deaths were reduced by half, mother-to-child transmission was minimized, and access to antiretroviral therapy improved significantly.
These findings were presented in the UNAIDS report "AIDS, Crisis, and the Power of Change", published on July 10, 2025. However, the authors of the report warned that the world risks losing the gains made due to cuts in international funding, including from the U.S. PEPFAR program.
The report noted that if current trends persist, there could be an additional 6 million new HIV cases and 4 million deaths over the next four years. In Tajikistan, more than 60% of HIV programs are funded by international donors.
“Even a 10-20% reduction in funding could undo years of effort,” said Aziza Hamidova, former UNAIDS Country Director in Tajikistan.
