This situation is particularly problematic as sexually transmitted diseases have been appearing in Panama more frequently than before, according to Dr. Nicolasa Terreros Barrios, rector at the Specialized University of the Americas (UDELAS). She said their increase is largely due to deficiencies in the country’s preventative health care services and public policies, as well as a lack of sexual education and comprehensive educational programs.
“Panama faces a serious problem, especially regarding these sexually transmitted diseases,” Barrios said. “The Panamanian state’s public policies aimed at addressing these kinds of situations have been largely neglected.”
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Panama (MINSA) did not respond to a request for comment about what federal plans may be implemented to further address this issue amidst global cuts to foreign aid.
However, a March impact report from UN AIDS said the Ministry of Health had stepped in to re-establish distribution of preventive anti-infection drugs, also known as PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis, to key populations after delays because of PEPFAR funding uncertainty.
For high-risk populations, the cuts in funding and delay or stoppage of services raises major concerns, especially amid global funding cuts.
A representative of PLAPERTS, the Latin American Platform of People who Practice Sex Work, who asked not to be identified by name due to her profession, said many Panamanian clinics focused specifically on supporting the country’s most vulnerable populations have been closed due to these cuts.
She said there is significant uncertainty in how those people will continue to access HIV testing, particularly sex workers.
While prostitution is legal in Panama, many sex workers remain unregistered, leading to frequent abuse from authorities, she said. Due to high registration costs, including costs of a mandatory photo ID card, and required testing at MINSA health centers on a frequent basis, it can be simply unfeasible for many to register.
A positive HIV result can also lead to “revocation of registration and deportation for non-Panamanian female sex workers with a work visa,” according to a study published in a BMJ medical journal.
As a sex worker herself, the PLAPERTS representative said she has witnessed extreme violence and discrimination in the industry — and as a trans woman, she faces these risks to an even greater extent.
Once these clinics, “spaces free of discrimination [and] free of stigma,” closed, she said few resources remain for the country’s unregistered sex workers to access testing for sexually transmitted infections or preventive medications like PrEP.
Asociación Viviendo Positivamente is an NGO in Panama that focuses on preventing HIV and supporting people who test positive. The organization helps people get tested and links those in need with support groups and the country’s health care system under MINSA.
Since it was founded two decades ago, the NGO has dedicated its work to empowering and helping those who feel they can’t speak up about what they’re going through due to stigma and discrimination, while removing these factors from the information they provide on HIV.
Dayra Garcia, the executive director of the organization, said their programs relied heavily on support from external cooperation agencies backed by the U.S. government. Now, the work of these agencies is paralyzed, and Asociación Viviendo Positivamente is confronted with how to continue operating.
She said one of their most recent projects, to be accomplished through USAID, had also been suspended. With so few resources and no governmental support, they’ve turned their efforts to local fundraising campaigns.
The whole country has felt the shift.
“Everything has come to a halt, not just for us as an organization, but also for the state, for the Ministry of Health, because many programs were connected to those cooperation agencies, and now everything has been left adrift,” Garcia said. “No one knows what’s going to happen — it’s going to be hard for the government itself to keep moving forward without international support.”
Eugenia Flores Millender — the co-founder and co-director of Florida State University’s Center of Population Sciences for Health Empowerment — said any humanitarian aid facilitated through NGOs can be impacted by Trump’s orders, as they’re all meant to receive some level of support from international policies.
Asociación Nuevos Horizontes is another NGO in Panama struggling to maintain its work under current conditions. Their organization advocates for the human rights of the country’s LGBTQ+ populations, with a focus on STI/HIV prevention through education, political advocacy and joint projects. The group also works frequently with migrant populations.
According to Juan Alonzo, the organization’s president, migrants with chronic illnesses like HIV often face the most barriers to medical care due to fears over their status and widespread stigma.
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While Panama has advanced in providing migrants with antiretroviral treatment, Alonzo said, “what’s weakening the response now is the USAID funding cuts — the government wasn’t prepared to fill this gap and now lacks the resources to meet migrant health care demands.”
Alonzo said his organization received 60% of their funding from USAID.
With this gone, the group can no longer sustain many of their programs — particularly those supporting the country’s most vulnerable migrant populations, including individuals living with HIV, women and LGBTQ+ populations.
Now, the organization is completely self-funded and was working to stay afloat through May with things like food and yard sales, bingo, auctions and raffle events. While time will tell if they remain operational, Alonzo has not given up on seeking external funding while also continuing to seek new allies.
“As USAID funds dry up, we must act to ensure national resources address migrant needs. It’s an international obligation,” he said.
Zingwa, a migrant in Panama who asked that his full name not be shared due to concerns over his safety and immigration status, has been particularly impacted by Trump’s policies.
After fleeing his home country of Cameroon due to political persecution, he attempted to enter the U.S. but was quickly deported to Panama City. Along with many others, he was detained in a hotel before being transported to a camp in the Darién region and then back to a hotel in Panama City. During this process, Zingwa struggled to access his life-saving HIV medication.
