Prince Harry’s aides have denied that his latest HIV campaign film was aimed at US President Donald Trump, after the Duke of Sussex warned millions could die as a result of international funding cuts.Prince Harry has warned that four million people could die as a result of cuts to HIV and Aids programs, mirroring data produced on the impact of American funding cuts.
The Duke of Sussex teamed up with actress Charlize Theron and former basketball player, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, to urge unspecified governments to restore funding that had been slashed from HIV prevention programs worldwide, in support of a campaign by UNAIDS.
In a statement to Newsweek, Harry’s spokesman said: “The film was not explicitly aimed at any one individual, it was more generally about reminding all leaders and those with influence that there is still work to do in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”
Without naming any country, part of the Duke’s statement said: “Without urgent action to reverse these crippling funding cuts, six million more people will become infected with HIV while four million will die from AIDS-related causes within the next four years.”
The UNAIDS campaign urged Governments to restore HIV prevention funding worldwide and included a joint call for action by the three stars.
The figures quoted by Harry appear to have been drawn from research specifically into American cuts to a program called PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, started by former president George W. Bush in 2003.
An annual report by UNAIDS in July read: “UNAIDS projections show that a permanent discontinuation of support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for HIV treatment and prevention could lead to more than 4 million additional AIDS-related deaths and more than 6 million additional new HIV infections by 2030.”
According to Newsweek, PEPFAR had been largely funded through USAID, which was formally closed in July. The State Department took over PEPFAR, meaning it has survived the cull, but UNAIDS still reported major cuts as of July.
“HIV programmes across the world are struggling from the sudden, drastic reductions in funding for the global HIV response announced by the United States Government in early 2025,” the UNAIDS report said.
“PEPFAR had committed $4.3 billion in bilateral support in 2025. Those services were stopped overnight when the United States Government shifted its foreign assistance strategies.
“Disruptions are being felt across the HIV response and pose a huge risk of increased mortality, a surge of new HIV infections, and the development of resistance to the most commonly used treatment regimens. Urgent action and revived solidarity are needed to sustain the progress made and prevent a resurgence of HIV.”