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: PEPFAR
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Research Funding Needs Stronger Domestic Support
The US National Institutes of Health’s decision to reopen funding opportunities to South African researchers offers welcome relief. However, it also exposes the risks of relying too heavily on foreign support for essential scientific work. When Donald Trump returned to the White House in early 2025, South Africa was the largest foreign recipient of NIH awards. These grants were awarded…
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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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Lenacapavir PrEP Rollout Brings Hope Amid Service Cuts
South Africa has launched lenacapavir, a new injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. The injection provides six months of protection against HIV infection. It is given twice a year. Health experts say the Lenacapavir PrEP Rollout could be a major step forward for HIV prevention. It offers an alternative to oral PrEP, which requires people to take tablets regularly.…
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HIV Funding in South Africa Faces Serious Cuts
South Africa has less than eight years before one of its most important external funding streams for HIV and TB programmes ends. Allocation letters sent in March confirm that the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria plans its final grant to South Africa in Grant Cycle 9. This cycle will run from April 2031 to March 2034. At…
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HIV Funding Cuts Endanger South Africa’s Lenacapavir Rollout
A new report from the US non-profit Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has issued a stark warning for the healthcare industry. Recent HIV Funding Cuts from the Trump administration are directly threatening South Africa’s ability to deploy lenacapavir. This twice-yearly injectable has been celebrated as a major breakthrough in HIV prevention. HIV Funding Cuts Threaten Life-Saving Healthcare Infrastructure The PHR…
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2025 Health in Review: Challenges and Triumphs
The 2025 Health in Review for the South African healthcare sector began with a seismic geopolitical shock. It is ending with a mixed scorecard of administrative failures and clinical triumphs. The tone for the year was set in January. This occurred when newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all foreign aid for 90 days. The…
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Health Funding Shortages Impacting HIV/AIDS Care
The National Treasury’s emergency allocation to South Africa’s health sector is dangerously insufficient. It is at high risk of being diverted to pay off massive provincial debts rather than fund essential services, Parliament heard on Wednesday. Health advocates warned the select committee on appropriations that the new funds fail to close the critical health funding gap. This gap was created…
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Ritshidze Report Highlights Decline in Services
A new report from the community-led monitoring group Ritshidze has exposed a “system-wide slide” in basic service delivery at South Africa’s public clinics. The report states this sharp decline, marked by critical staff shortages and failing patient systems, directly coincides with the drastic cuts to the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) funding. These cuts were made earlier…
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HIV Funding Boost Revealed by Health Minister Motsoaledi
South Africa’s vital HIV/AIDS programmes have received a crucial R2 billion lifeline from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The HIV funding boost will be disbursed over the next six months. It will sustain existing services and prevent the collapse of critical health initiatives nationwide. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi made the significant announcement during a…
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Health Funding Solution: Steps by National Treasury
The National Treasury is preparing a new bill. This is a crucial move for the health sector. It will address a severe funding shortfall. The gap is a result of the withdrawal of US donor aid. This withdrawal puts essential health programs at risk. HIV/AIDS services are particularly vulnerable. The government is now proposing a health funding solution. The financial…