Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has confirmed that his department has not received any funding support since the United States ended its contribution to South Africa’s HIV/Aids programmes earlier this year.
The funding, which was provided under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), was withdrawn in January, leaving a significant shortfall.
Despite mounting concerns, Motsoaledi moved to reassure the public that the country’s treatment programmes will not collapse due to the funding loss.
His comments come amid growing pressure, particularly following protests by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) at a parliamentary health committee meeting this week. The TAC highlighted the impact of the funding cut, which has led to the closure of clinics previously supported by PEPFAR.
The minister also faced criticism from the Democratic Alliance (DA), which accused him of being too slow to respond to the funding crisis and secure alternative sources of support.
Responding to these concerns on Thursday, Motsoaledi outlined the efforts his department has made to fill the gap. He said he had engaged with a range of potential funders, including the Bill Clinton Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Despite these discussions, no tangible financial support has yet been secured.
“We’ve raised nothing except the R1 billion from the global fund to buy ARVs [anti-retrovirals]. Up to so far, we haven’t raised a cent from anybody, we’ve raised nothing.”
He confirmed that 12 specialised HIV clinics have been forced to shut down since the PEPFAR withdrawal, resulting in the loss of more than 8,000 jobs.
Although many organisations and governments have expressed interest or offered verbal support, none have followed through with confirmed financial contributions.
Motsoaledi also revealed that he had approached the National Lottery for assistance. While the Lottery previously contributed R17 million to HIV treatment efforts in 2010, no new funding has been secured.
The South African National Aids Council, chaired by the deputy president, has also formally requested support from the Lottery.
As the funding gap persists, the Department of Health continues to explore every possible avenue to maintain vital treatment programmes and prevent further disruption to services.
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