U.S. Cuts Lifeline HIV/AIDS Funding to South Africa by 2025

The U.S. State Department is ending its long-running HIV/AIDS support in South Africa. Most programmes under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will stop by September 2025. The decision follows a halt in U.S. financial aid earlier this year, leaving critical health services at risk. In February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended financial aid to South Africa. He cited disagreements over policies like Black Economic Empowerment and land expropriation laws. The U.S. also demanded that senior South African officials publicly condemn the song 'Kill the Boer' to avoid the withdrawal of PEPFAR funding.

PEPFAR had funded about 17% of South Africa’s HIV programme budget, excluding antiretroviral drugs. Its withdrawal has already disrupted prevention services in high-prevalence areas. Facilities have closed, and workers have lost their jobs. Children, adolescents, and other key groups now face reduced access to care.

South Africa has the world’s largest HIV-positive population, with around 8 million people affected. In response, the government set up a $45 million emergency fund in 2024 to fill gaps left by PEPFAR. Since January 2025, health authorities have also worked on a self-reliance plan to ease the impact of the funding cuts. Civil society groups report that adolescent girls and women are among the first to suffer from the aid reduction. The phase-out of PEPFAR threatens to reverse progress in HIV prevention and treatment. South Africa’s emergency measures aim to limit the damage to its health system.