A group of lawmakers and the Frente Nacional de VIH, Hepatitis y Tuberculosis announced on April 6 the presentation of a new bill to declare a National Emergency in Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights. The initiative comes after a reported 38 percent budget cut for HIV programs and widespread shortages in basic supplies.
The proposed legislation was developed from a petition submitted by the Frente Nacional de VIH, Hepatitis y Tuberculosis, which gathered over 600 signatures from organizations and individuals across Argentina. It is being introduced with support from more than 15 deputies representing various political blocs.
The project responds to what organizers describe as an escalating epidemiological crisis and underfunding of essential public health programs. Recent data cited include nearly 6,900 new HIV diagnoses annually—with almost half diagnosed late—over 55,000 cases of syphilis recorded in 2025 (the highest number ever), historic declines in HPV vaccination rates, and critical shortages of condoms nationwide. In addition to budget reductions for Program 22 (covering HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, and tuberculosis), there have been reports of strategic department closures, dismissal of about forty percent of technical staff, suspension of bodies created by Law 27.675, increased failures by insurance providers to supply treatments, dismantling of the Plan Enia program, and weakening comprehensive sex education efforts.
Key points outlined in the bill include declaring an emergency period lasting two years (with possible extension), allocating extraordinary funding for relevant health areas; immediate purchase and distribution of vital supplies such as condoms and antiretrovirals; reactivation of national commissions against stigma; rehiring dismissed technical personnel; launching public prevention campaigns; strengthening state oversight over insurance providers; direct funding for civil society organizations; ensuring access to comprehensive sex education programs (ESI), Plan Enia initiatives for adolescents, hormone treatments for transgender people, and legal abortion services.
The announcement event will feature participating lawmakers who signed onto the proposal along with representatives from advocacy groups including activists, healthcare professionals, affected individuals—and members from civil society organizations.
