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.…
Tag: USAID
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African Health Funding Shift: Nonprofits Battle Aid Declines
In East London, Lesley-Ann Foster is packing away decades of patient records. Her nonprofit, Masimanyane Women’s Rights International, is facing a crisis. This situation is becoming common across the continent. A massive shift in African health funding is fundamentally changing how medical services are delivered to the most vulnerable. For thirty years, Masimanyane provided a lifeline for survivors of sexual…
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Global Malaria Crisis Deepens Amid US Cuts, Rising Resistance
The global malaria crisis is facing a severe and potentially irreversible setback, according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest report. Progress in fighting the disease has stagnated since 2015, and by 2024, key indicators show a dramatic regression that experts are calling catastrophic. Global Malaria Crisis Escalates With Alarming Statistics In 2024, malaria infected 282 million people and killed…
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Global Health Crisis and the Threat to NTD Programmes
Millions of life-saving medicines used to combat debilitating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are at risk of being wasted. Stockpiles are expiring in warehouses following the abrupt termination of a major US aid programme. Global health experts have sounded the alarm. They warn that this funding crisis could sabotage years of hard-won progress. Moreover, it could lead to a resurgence of…
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Emergency Funds Provide Lifeline for Medical Research
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has announced a significant financial intervention from the National Treasury. They are releasing an initial R753 million in emergency funds. This aims to mitigate the severe impact of recent US funding cuts on South Africa’s health system. These emergency funds are the first part of a potential multi-phase government response. Its success hinges on effective…
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USAID Funding Cuts Could Trigger 14 Million Deaths by 2030
Deep and ongoing USAID funding cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), coupled with its potential dismantling, could result in more than 14 million additional deaths across the globe by 2030. This is according to new research. The study, published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet on Monday, 30 June, highlights the catastrophic human cost of the…
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HIV Funding Cuts and Their Impact on South Africa
US funding cuts for HIV relief could be devastating. South Africa may see a resurgence of the epidemic. A new study predicts many additional HIV infections. This could be between 150,000 and 295,000 by 2028. The study shows the impact of HIV funding cuts in South Africa. The National Department of Health commissioned the study. Researchers from UCT and Wits…
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No relief in health budget for US cuts to grants for HIV/AIDS
The Treasury stated on Wednesday that no relief is in the budget to mitigate the impact of US President Donald Trump’s sudden termination of grants to HIV/AIDS organisations in South Africa. The Health Department has yet to finalise its analysis of the required resources. Trump’s administration has thrown organisations reliant on US foreign aid into turmoil worldwide, first with a…
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Health Minister addresses funding gap after USAID cuts
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has acknowledged that the South African government cannot entirely compensate for the funding gap left by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) following the termination of USAID-funded health programmes by President Donald Trump’s administration. The sudden funding halt has impacted the supply of life-saving drugs for HIV, malaria, and TB, as well as…
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Trump’s USAID cuts threaten SA’s HIV/AIDS progress
In a devastating move for South Africa’s healthcare sector, former US President Donald Trump rescinded all USAID grants supporting HIV/AIDS programs in the country. The decision, announced on Thursday, has put thousands of healthcare jobs at risk and threatens the progress made in battling the epidemic. Health activists warn that the cuts could reverse years of hard-won gains, leaving vulnerable…