US aid freeze: CS0s lose 80 per cent of staff
Insurers say they exist to cover risks and will, therefore, compensate claims related to job cuts. Photo / Michael Kakumirizi
What you need to know:
- Staff working in the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and key population sections in Uganda were affected the most
The majority of Civil Organisations offering HIV/AIDS services in Uganda have lost at least 80 per cent of their staff following the United States' January 2025 aid freeze, an official from a national forum for people living with HIV/AIDS has said.
Mr Raymond Kwesiga, an Advocacy Officer at National Forum of People Living with HIV/Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), told this publication in an interview that several organisations, including those with other funding streams, have terminated the contracts of a huge number of staff following President Donald Trump's Executive Order.
"For the numbers, I can say over 80%, because most of them were either PEPFAR, USAID or CDC funded. The situation is very challenging," he said, adding that organisations might have different funding streams, but the biggest percentage was USAID-funded.
NAFOPHANU was supporting 20 districts, meaning staff in those areas and at the secretariat were also laid off, according to Mr Kwesiga. "So, that's a huge impact."
Staff working in the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and key population sections were affected the most, Mr Kwesiga said.
Mr Kuraish Mubiru, the Executive Director of Uganda Young Positives (UYP), said 90 percent of their staff were affected.
"We laid off 90 percent of our staff. All staff who were based at the head office are at home. A few staff who are here are pulling up their resilient muscles to hang in there and continue serving," Mr Mubiru noted.
Ms Adella Mbabazi, Communications Manager, International Community of Women Living with HIV/Aids, Eastern Africa, said, "Things are not well, but we are moving forward as we wait for the situation to normalise."
Other sources say over 10,000 jobs have been lost since the freeze was effected in January 24, 2025. Ms. Maurine Kwikiriza from the Department of HIV/AIDS at Uganda Aids Commission said the government had integrated HIV/AIDs services in Outpatient Departments (OPD) of various facilities, but acknowledged that client follow-up is a challenge.
"As government, we are saying, let us integrate the services. For now, it may not be possible for patients to be followed up, but they should stick to their appointments, go to the facilities and get the drugs," she said.
Mr Kwesiga, however, noted that lean staff at the OPD is overwhelmed by the big numbers of patients with different medical needs. The Ministry of Health officials have repeatedly said that they had requested the Ministry of Finance to allocate them funds so that they can recruit some of the health workers who lost jobs due to the aid freeze.
In January 2025, people living with HIV and over 50 civil society organisations expressed worries that the 90 days aid freeze would disrupt service delivery and risk the lives of 1.4 million Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS. They called upon government to prioritise domestic resources for HIV programmes in the current budget and that of 2025/26 Financial Year.
