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US to stop funding HIV programmes in South Africa

June 19, 2026

The United States government has announced it will discontinue funding for HIV and AIDS programs in South Africa, which currently has the world's largest HIV-positive population of over eight million people. The State Department has connected this decision to South Africa's alleged mistreatment of the white Afrikaner minority, a claim the South African government consistently denies, as well as tensions over South Africa's policies regarding Israel and Iran. Until 2025, the U.S. provided approximately $400 million annually through the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), representing about one-fifth of South Africa's total HIV program spending.

Who is affected

  • More than eight million South Africans living with HIV
  • South African health ministry and HIV program administrators
  • The white-minority Afrikaner community (referenced in the dispute)
  • President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government
  • President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department
  • Recipients of Pepfar-funded HIV programs in South Africa

What action is being taken

  • The U.S. is conducting a "phased drawdown" of Pepfar funding to South Africa
  • South Africa's health ministry is working on a self-reliance plan
  • The U.S. administration has set up a refugee program specifically for Afrikaners

Why it matters

  • This decision significantly impacts the world's largest HIV-positive population, as the U.S. funding represented approximately one-fifth ($400 million annually) of South Africa's total HIV program spending. The withdrawal demonstrates how diplomatic tensions and political disputes can directly affect critical public health programs, potentially compromising care for millions of vulnerable people. The situation also reflects broader deterioration in U.S.-South Africa relations and the controversial use of humanitarian aid as a political tool linked to disputed claims about minority persecution.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC

US to stop funding HIV programmes in South Africa