US Makes About-Turn On HIV Aid As Trump Lifts Ban to SA, Low-Income Countries — for Now
- President Donald Trump recently issued a directive for HIV treatment aid to low-income countries through PEPFAR to cease
- The US State Department announced a lift on the ban, likely temporary as Trump follows through on his "America first" vow
- South Africa is among almost 50 sub-Saharan African countries benefitting from the $7.5 billion PEPFAR programme since 2003
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WASHINGTON DC — The decision by the Trump administration to suddenly halt the provision of life-saving HIV treatment funding to countries, including South Africa, sent a ripple coursing far and wide.
However, the US State Department on Tuesday, 28 January 2025, issued a waiver, rescinding the decision stemming from a freeze imposed in President Donald Trump's first week back in office.
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Had it stuck — or should it in time — it would mean millions worldwide dependent on the treatment will be left in the lurch and peril.
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The US, through its $7.5 billion President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has since 2003 saved more than 25 million lives worldwide, and over 5.5 million children have been born without contracting HIV.
South Africa, a beneficiary of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programmes, is among numerous countries in various African regions, including Southern, Central, East, and West Africa, receiving vital antiretroviral therapy (ART) drug treatment and related services.
Source: Getty Images
In the 2021 financial year, the US State Department and USAID provided $8.5 billion of assistance to 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa
The impact of the programme in SA has been enormous as the HIV prevalence rate was 12.6% in 2023, a decrease from 14% in 2017, with an estimated 7.8 million people living with HIV.
According to one estimate, PEPFAR's shutdown would add over 500,000 new HIV infections and more than 600,000 related deaths over the next 10 years.
'This is while a possible cure reportedly remains as far as the same length of time away. Meanwhile, the organisation employs 270,000 medical professionals — doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers.
After the freeze, as Trump seemingly gives credence to his "America first" vision, they had been instructed not to report to work or serve patients.
However, following the waiver, the distribution of ART treatment continues with uncertainty looming over PEPFAR’s future. In 2023, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition announced that the country was in line to receive an anti-HIV jab.
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In a related story, Briefly News reported that Trump began his newest tenure at the helm by making a series of strong declarations.
Chief among them was effecting wholesale changes to the pattern of how global businesses interact with the world's biggest economy.
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Source: Briefly News
