The US Senate has moved to spare the world’s biggest HIV treatment and prevention programme – which funds drugs and research in more than 50 countries – from $400m (£298m) of aid cuts imposed by Donald Trump.

Pepfar, a global programme to fight HIV/Aids, has been exempted from US President Donald Trump’s plan to slash billions in spending on foreign aid. However, local health experts say it’s too soon to predict how the decision will affect South African HIV programmes.

Presented by AstraZeneca{beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story PEPFAR survives rescissions Senate Republicans are removing a global anti-HIV program from the White

The White House backed off $400 million in immediate cuts it was proposing in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and potentially other high-profile health programs. It's part of the package of cuts facing the Senate over the next two days.

The U.S. Senate has opened debate on a $9 billion rescission bill to claw back foreign aid and other funding not aligned with Trump administration priorities, but will apparently leave one critical public health program alone.

The World Health Organization is now recommending that countries include an HIV drug newly approved for prevention, lenacapavir, as a tool in their efforts to fight HIV infections – especially for groups most at risk and in areas where the burden of HIV remains high.