HIV treatment simplification could ease pressure on South Africa’s health system by reducing unnecessary clinic visits, Dr Anna Grimsrud and Lynne Wilkinson argue. The authors propose longer medicine supplies, annual clinical reviews for stable adults and stronger patient recall systems. Their recommendations come amid funding uncertainty for the world’s largest HIV treatment programme. They cite June 2026 reports of a…
Tag: HIV Treatment
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PEPFAR Funding Cuts Deepen Global HIV Crisis
An inaccurate map of Africa presented at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro drew criticism. US officials incorrectly placed Mozambique in the Horn of Africa and moved Ivory Coast from West to East Africa. The mistakes damaged the goodwill built by the Trump administration’s decision to attend the conference, and officials also addressed questions about changes to…
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SA HIV Treatment Programme Faces Historic Slowdown
South Africa’s massive HIV response has hit a significant roadblock. The country’s leading mathematical tool for tracking HIV trends, the Thembisa model, has released its latest estimates. They reveal that the South African HIV treatment programme recorded its slowest annual growth in two decades. Between 2024 and 2025, the number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) increased by just 40,000.…
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HIV Crisis: Impact of US Aid Cuts on Treatment
South Africa’s hard-won gains against the ongoing HIV crisis and AIDS are facing a perilous new challenge following significant cuts to US funding. These cuts have sparked fears of a resurgence in infections and deaths. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, once lauded for his decisive action against the epidemic, is now under intense scrutiny for his response to the escalating…
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Experts call for self-reliance in South Africa’s HIV funding
South Africans living with HIV are facing increasing challenges in accessing medication due to the recent suspension of funding from the United States. The funding cuts, primarily affecting the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) and USAID-supported programmes, have led to disruptions in healthcare services, forcing patients to ration their medication. While the South African government covers 87% of…
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“Close the Gap” HIV campaign targets 1.1m more on treatment
The South African government launched the “Close the Gap” campaign in February, aiming to set an ambitious target of placing an additional 1.1 million people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) by the end of 2025. With approximately 7.8 million individuals in the country living with HIV and 5.9 million currently receiving treatment, this initiative seeks to increase the…