South Africa’s hard-won gains against HIV could be thrown into reverse if the United States follows through on withdrawing support, UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima has warned, saying the move risks costing lives and undermining years of progress.
The United States, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has been contributing about $400 million annually to South Africa’s HIV response — funding that accounts for roughly 17% of the country’s overall HIV response budget.
While South Africa does not depend on US funding to purchase HIV drugs, the American contribution has played a major role in programmes aimed at preventing new infections and limiting the spread of the virus. The prospect of a pullback comes as relations between Washington and Pretoria continue to deteriorate. Former US president Donald Trump has also alleged that there is a “white genocide” taking place in South Africa, a claim that has been widely discredited.
Byanyima called on the US to reconsider the decision or, at minimum, to phase any changes in gradually. She warned that abruptly removing support could carry severe consequences for the more than eight million people living with HIV in South Africa.
