US to withdraw $400 million HIV funding from South Africa, home to over 8 million people living with the virus

The diplomatic dispute between Washington and Pretoria has reached one of the world’s largest public health programmes.

The United States government has announced plans to phase out HIV/AIDS funding for South Africa, a move that could eventually remove support worth about $400 million annually from a country where more than 8 million people are living with HIV.

The decision affects funding provided through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), one of America’s most successful global health initiatives and a programme that has helped save millions of lives across Africa since its launch in 2003.

The move marks a significant escalation in deteriorating relations between the Trump administration and South Africa, shifting tensions from trade and foreign policy into the public health arena.

A relationship that keeps getting worse