South Africas HIV response will receive a financial lifeline from the National Treasury and international donors, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced during a budget vote in Parliament on Wednesday.
After months of negotiations, Treasury has agreed to release about R753-million immediately to help cover the shortfall left by the US governments funding withdrawal earlier this year.
This is only about a tenth of the R7.5-billion that the United States Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief PEPFAR contributed to HIV programmes last year. But it is not straightforward calculating exactly how much US money has been withdrawn in 2025 from South Africas HIV programme. US money comes mainly through two institutions: USAID, which has been entirely cut as far as we understand, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has not been cut.
Motsoaledi said the money from Treasury will be allocated to HIV services, medicines and research. About R590-million is to be allocated to provinces for the HIV component of the District Health Programme Grant.