The new Secretary of State Marco Rubio's waiver ensures PEPFAR's vital HIV/AIDS relief continues despite Trump's aid freeze, but the exclusion of gender identity programs raises concerns.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s order to pause nearly all foreign aid has halted funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an African HIV-prevention program launched by President George W.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a federal program that provides HIV medications, is one of the programs on pause during a 90-day review ordered by the Secretary of State.

Approximately 60 senior staff within USAID have been suspended, leaving the agency without clear leadership, five sources familiar with the internal action told CBS News.

A stop in all of PEPFAR’s work shuttered clinics this week. Then, a new exemption for “life-saving” treatment left organizations uncertain.

The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has approved an “Emergency Humanitarian Waiver”, which will allow people to continue accessing HIV treatment funded by the US across 55 countries worldwide.

The State Department issued a waiver for lifesaving aid, but HIV clinics remain shut and uncertainty lingers over the future of PEPFAR, which has saved 25 million lives.

Officials inside and outside of the US government are grappling with the fallout of the Trump administration’s sudden suspension of almost all foreign aid with some humanitarian officials warning that people will die as a result.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio allowed the continued distribution of HIV medications in the 55 countries supported by the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief. However, it remains unclear whether the waiver includes preventive drugs or other critical services.

Leaders of the global fight against HIV/AIDS let out a sigh of relief on Wednesday as the Donald Trump administration scaled back – at least temporarily – one of the most damaging policies of its first days in office.

The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has approved an "Emergency Humanitarian Waiver" allowing continued access to US-funded HIV treatment across 55 countries.