WATCH | Can South Africa's HIV fight survive US funding blows?

Published 1 week ago• 1 minute read

South Africa’s HIV programme, once sustained by US support, is at risk. Without replacement funding, South Africa could see a 38% increase in Aids-related deaths by 2028 and up to 150,000 HIV infections.

With some frontline services collapsing and mobile clinics funded by US emergency fund Pepfar lying idle, it’s feared many of South Africa’s eight-million people living with HIV might forgo their treatment.

The average person with HIV in South Africa is aged 41, which means treatment access isn’t just about survival; it’s about protecting our workforce.

But there’s a promising breakthrough: the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the HIV prevention jab, lenacapavir, and it could be registered in South Africa by early 2026.

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Health Beat he’ll find the money to buy the jab if donors can’t help. But how much should we pay for it?

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