PODCAST: Will Trump cut funds for South Africa’s HIV programmes?
An international HIV expert says a Trump administration will question South Africa’s decades-long partnership with the US government’s Aids fund, Pepfar
28 November 2024 - 09:00
byMia Malan, Danny Booysen and Yolanda Mdzeke
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On 20 January, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the new US president — for the second time.
An international HIV expert says a Trump administration will question South Africa’s decades-long partnership with the US government’s Aids fund, Pepfar.
Since 2003, Pepfar has invested more than R145bn ($8bn) in South Africa’s Aids programmes, making the country one of the fund’s largest grantees.
For this US financial year (October 2024-September 2025), South Africa’s Pepfar country co-ordinator, Saira Johnson-Qureshi, says the country received $439,537,828 (R7.9bn at the current exchange rate) from Pepfar. Some of this money goes directly towards the health department, and the rest to NGOs working on HIV issues.
The health department says South Africa will also receive more than 200,000 doses of the two-monthly anti-HIV jab, CAB-LA, from Pepfar in batches over the course of 2025. About half the doses were originally scheduled to arrive in December.
But Trump will almost certainly cut funding for HIV programmes supporting sex workers, gay and bisexual men, drug users and transgender people, says an expert.
In this podcast, Mia Malan asks Mitchell Warren, who heads up the New York-based advocacy organisation Avac, what lies ahead for South Africa’s US-funded HIV programmes after Trump takes over.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
PODCAST: Will Trump cut funds for South Africa’s HIV programmes?
An international HIV expert says a Trump administration will question South Africa’s decades-long partnership with the US government’s Aids fund, Pepfar
On 20 January, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the new US president — for the second time.
An international HIV expert says a Trump administration will question South Africa’s decades-long partnership with the US government’s Aids fund, Pepfar.
Since 2003, Pepfar has invested more than R145bn ($8bn) in South Africa’s Aids programmes, making the country one of the fund’s largest grantees.
For this US financial year (October 2024-September 2025), South Africa’s Pepfar country co-ordinator, Saira Johnson-Qureshi, says the country received $439,537,828 (R7.9bn at the current exchange rate) from Pepfar. Some of this money goes directly towards the health department, and the rest to NGOs working on HIV issues.
The health department says South Africa will also receive more than 200,000 doses of the two-monthly anti-HIV jab, CAB-LA, from Pepfar in batches over the course of 2025. About half the doses were originally scheduled to arrive in December.
But Trump will almost certainly cut funding for HIV programmes supporting sex workers, gay and bisexual men, drug users and transgender people, says an expert.
In this podcast, Mia Malan asks Mitchell Warren, who heads up the New York-based advocacy organisation Avac, what lies ahead for South Africa’s US-funded HIV programmes after Trump takes over.
This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.
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