The US government says it will no longer be funding programmes intended to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
It is understood that more than eight million South Africans are living with HIV/AIDS. The figure represents the highest number of any country in the world.
According to findings, the US State Department appeared to link the decision to South Africa’s alleged failure to protect the white-minority Afrikaner community. The South African government has repeatedly rejected the allegation.
In response, South Africa’s health ministry says that though it had not been informed of the decision, it had “long been working on a self-reliance plan.”
Until 2025, the US government was supporting South Africa with an estimated $400m (N520b) a year through the President’s Emergency Fund for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) to address the virus.
TNT understands that Pepfar funding, which had been providing about a fifth of South Africa’s total spending on HIV programmes, got a reprieve last October with what was called a “bridge plan.”
