Civil society organizations in South Africa have raised alarm over the United States' decision to phase out more than $400 million in annual HIV program funding, warning that women, adolescent girls, and other vulnerable groups are likely to bear the greatest burden as critical healthcare services are scaled back.
The funding reduction is part of the gradual drawdown of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a landmark global health initiative launched more than two decades ago.
According to the U.S. State Department, most of the funding phase-out is expected to be completed by September, with limited support for essential personnel continuing through March of the following year.
Healthcare providers are already reporting significant disruptions. The Anova Health Institute, one of South Africa's leading HIV service organizations, has ended its PEPFAR-funded programs and laid off approximately 3,000 healthcare workers.
Advocacy groups warn that reduced access to prevention and treatment services could reverse years of progress in controlling HIV transmission, particularly among young women and adolescent girls, who continue to face disproportionately high infection rates in parts of South Africa.
Related Tweet:
UNAids Warns U.S. Cut to South Africa HIV Funding Could Cost Lives https://t.co/Yl4QdAcKbl pic.twitter.com/9hvxx66hOc
— allAfrica.com (@allafrica) June 24, 2026
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