U.S. Funding Cuts Threaten HIV/AIDS Programs in South Africa and Globally

The Trump administration notified South Africa that it will end the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) after the country failed to meet a set of policy conditions, including changes to race‑based economic programs and land‑expropriation laws. UNAIDS warned that the loss of U.S. aid could put millions of vulnerable South Africans at risk; the country has about 8 million people living with HIV and relied on PEPFAR for more than $400 million a year and roughly 17 % of its HIV response funding.

At the same time, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said global HIV prevention is experiencing its worst setback in decades because of sharp cuts in international development assistance. Testing in high‑burden nations has fallen 22 % and condom funding has dropped by more than 90 % in some places. UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warned that the 70 % decline in AIDS‑related deaths since 2004 is now under threat. At the end of 2024, 9.2 million people still lacked treatment and about 630 000 died of AIDS‑related causes. Experts say the funding crisis could reverse years of progress and increase new infections unless donor support is restored.