US funding cuts to ‘s HIV/AIDS programs could trigger more than 500,000 deaths over the next decade, the head of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, Linda-Gail Bekker, told reporters on Thursday.
“We will see lives lost,” said Bekker after South African groups were notified that they would lose their USAID grants.
“In excess of half a million unnecessary deaths will occur because of the loss of the funding and up to a half a million new infections,” Bekker added, citing studies that assess the potential impact of the funding cuts.
Around 13%, or 7.8 million, people in South Africa are HIV positive — one of the highest rates of HIV in the world, according to government data.
South Africa is one of the largest recipients of funds from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a project launched by then-US President George W. Bush in 2003 to combat global HIV/AIDS. USAID helps provide funding through PEPFAR.
Why did the US cut funds to South Africa?
South African groups that receive funds through USAID said they had received termination letters from the US State Department overnight.
The notices, seen by the AFP news agency, said the grants were not in line with US priorities and were “terminated for convenience and the interest of the US government.”
The move comes after US President Donald Trump’s last month.
The cuts risk undoing years of progress. PEPFAR, which provides about 17% of South Africa’s HIV budget, ensures that some 5.5 million are on anti-retroviral medication for HIV, according to the Health Ministry.
Following USAID cuts, activists stressed an urgent need to find alternative ways to fund the programs.
“We cannot afford delays right now. We need top-tier prioritization,” said Lynne Wilkinson, a public health expert in South Africa.
What’s next for South Africa’s fight against HIV?
The government has tried to reassure the public about the and pledged to bolster its health care system.
“We are looking at various interventions to address the immediate needs and ensure the continuity of essential services,” President said in a national address earlier this month.
Last week, South Africa’s Health Ministry announced a goal of having 1.1 million people living with HIV on treatment by the end of next year.
“We should not accept that AIDS is here forever. It is not,” Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said at the launch of the campaign. “We want to end it. It’s all in our hands and it depends on our will.”
Edited by: Sean M. Sinico
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