India’s first three clinics for the transgender community closed last month following a stop-work order from the US Agency for International Development that funded them. US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid in January pending a review to ensure all projects funded with US taxpayer money are aligned with his \”America First\” policy. Trump has repeatedly criticised what he called USAID spending $21 million on \”voter turnout\” in India. The Centre said last week it was investigating the closure of the first of the Mitr clinics in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in 2021. The other two clinics are located in the cities of Kalyan and Pune and employ about eight people. Up to 10% of all clinic clients are infected by HIV, one of the sources said. The clinics, however, have got a waiver from USAID to keep running certain life-saving activities, including providing antiretroviral medication to HIV-infected people, the sources say.
