US withdraws HIV support for South Africa

By Favour Ulebor & Agency Report

The United States government has announced plans to stop funding HIV and AIDS programmes in South Africa, citing concerns over the treatment of the country’s white minority Afrikaner community.

A US State Department official said the funding withdrawal was linked to South Africa’s failure to address concerns raised by the Trump administration.

The official added that South Africa, as a middle-income country, has the capacity to finance its own health programmes.

For years, the US supported South Africa’s HIV response through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), contributing about $400 million annually. The programme accounted for nearly one-fifth of South Africa’s HIV spending.

However, the US government said it would begin a gradual withdrawal of the funding, insisting the move would encourage South Africa to become more self-reliant.

Reacting to the development, South Africa’s Health Ministry said it had not received any official notification but noted that it had already been working on plans to reduce dependence on foreign support.

The ministry also stated that life-saving antiretroviral drugs are largely funded by the South African government and would not be affected by the US decision.

South Africa has more than eight million people living with HIV, the highest number in the world.

Relations between Washington and Pretoria have deteriorated in recent years over several issues, including South Africa’s policies aimed at addressing inequalities from the apartheid era, as well as its foreign policy positions.

President Trump has repeatedly accused South Africa of failing to protect Afrikaners, a claim the South African government has rejected.

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