Pretoria: Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has appealed to people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to continue taking their medication amid reports that grant funding by the United States of America (USA) is under review.
According to South African Government News Agency, the review of the grant funding is expected to affect the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme, which supports HIV prevention, care, and treatment in several countries, including South Africa. The programme aims to achieve HIV epidemic control. Dr Motsoaledi assured the public that the country’s ARVs programme will not be impacted, as it is funded by the South African government and the Global Fund.
During a media briefing at a two-day Cabinet Lekgotla, Dr Motsoaledi emphasized the importance of continuing HIV/AIDS programmes. He stated, “As the South African government, we want to ascertain that nobody must stop taking ARVs because that will be devastating.” South Africa’s 52 districts include 27 that are
funded by PEPFAR based on their high burden of HIV/AIDS. These districts are spread across eight provinces, with the Northern Cape being the only province without highly affected districts.
Of the 27 districts, seven are in KwaZulu-Natal, five in the Eastern Cape, four in Gauteng, three each in Mpumalanga and the North West, two in Limpopo, and one in the Western Cape. In these districts, 271,606 people are involved in HIV/AIDS efforts, with 256,452 funded by South Africa and 15,145 potentially affected by the withdrawal of PEPFAR funds. Dr Motsoaledi highlighted concerns about salaries and operational costs, which are being discussed with the National Treasury.
South Africa provides 76% of the funding for HIV/AIDS programmes, comprising 74% from the government and 2% from the private sector. The Global Fund fills a funding gap with 7%, while PEPFAR contributes 17%. Together with the Global Fund, South Africa is purchasing ARVs. Despite reports of changes in US grant funding, the South African government ha
s not received formal communication regarding these changes.
Dr Motsoaledi noted, “So far, we have not received a letter from the American government.” Communication attempts with the US embassy have been unsuccessful, although NGOs and clinics funded by PEPFAR have received letters. Out of 63 million people in South Africa, 7.8 million are HIV positive, with 5.5 million on ARVs.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) adopted the 95-95-95 strategy in 2014, aiming for 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, 95% of diagnosed individuals to receive antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those on therapy to achieve viral load suppression. Dr Motsoaledi shared that South Africa has reached 96% of people knowing their status, with 79% on treatment and 94% of those achieving viral suppression. To meet the 95-95-95 targets by 2030, South Africa needs 1.1 million more people on treatment to eliminate HIV as a public health threat.