Health Policy Watch: South Africa may be excluded from future US grants for HIV amid political row

The United States (US) government has not sought a meeting with South Africa to discuss the resumption of its HIV grant, and it won’t supply the country with the long-acting HIV prevention medication, lenacapavir, amid a deepening political row between the two countries. While US Ambassadors throughout the continent have initiated meetings with African Health Ministers to discuss Memorandums of Understanding to set out new terms for the continuation of their US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) grants from April 2026, South Africa has not received such an invitation.

UNAIDS: People’s Republic of China unveils US$ 3.49 million HIV prevention support for South Africa, facilitated by UNAIDS

The People’s Republic of China, through the China Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, has announced a two-year US$ 3.49 million (approximately 60 million South African rand) funding partnership to expand HIV services across South Africa. The agreement, facilitated by UNAIDS, will boost South Africa’s efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat. The agreement will go towards HIV prevention services, particularly focusing on young people and people who inject drugs as some of the groups at most risk of HIV infection. South Africa has the world’s largest HIV epidemic with around 8 million people living with the virus. Young people aged 15-24 account for over a third of new infections and HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs is 7% higher than among the general population. 

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