South Africa's HIV/AIDS funding strategies praised amid USAID cuts

At the 12th South African AIDS Conference held in Ekurhuleni on Monday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus praised South Africa for its innovative approaches to funding HIV/AIDS programmes in light of recent USAID funding cuts.

"I congratulate South Africa in the face of major disruptions and dramatic cuts in aid. I commend the government for moving quickly to analyse the impact of these cuts. South Africa has tried to develop and find contingency plans for each province. These cuts also bring opportunities. I commend South Africa for its commitment to strengthening domestic funding for HIV/Aids and tuberculosis (TB). We welcome the new HIV/Aids Sustainability Roadmap," he said. 

Meanwhile, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, as chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), has called for equitable access to healthcare, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Mashatile, delivering his opening address on the first day of the 12th AIDS Conference, said that to achieve this, efforts should focus on education, awareness, and anti-stigma initiatives as ways to break down barriers and foster a culture of understanding and support.

"We must ensure access to comprehensive and inclusive healthcare service that leaves no one behind. We must champion education, awareness, and destigmatisation efforts that break down barriers and foster a culture of understanding and support," he said.

Themed under: "Unite for Change – Empower Communities and Redefine", the five-day gathering has brought together leaders, researchers, partners, and other key stakeholders to deliberate and strengthen the management and fight against HIV.

Mashatile indicated that SANAC is currently consolidating reports and data from various sources and implementers to establish how the country has performed in the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP).

Through its four Goals, the NSP emphasises the need to break down barriers and maximise equitable and equal access to services through resilient and integrated health systems to guarantee the health and social protection of all South Africans.

"The NSP has been a game changer in many ways; it was developed using lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and is, therefore, pandemic-ready. It also goes further into the social and structural causes of the three epidemics (HIV, tuberculosis, and STIs)," Mashatile said.

Mashatile said that the recent President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding withdrawal will not hurt the country's HIV/Aids programmes.

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