The US government has abruptly terminated aid to South African organisations providing critical support for HIV and AIDS, leaving many programmes in jeopardy.
Recipients of funding under the US government’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS (PEPFAR) received notification overnight that their grants have been permanently ended.
In the correspondence seen by APA, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) said the termination was done in the “interest of the US government.”
“This award is being terminated for convenience and the interests of the U.S. Government pursuant to a directive from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his capacity as the Acting Administrator for the US Agency for International Development,” the letter said.
It further explained that the decision stemmed from an assessment that continuing these programmes did not align with US national interests.
Recipients were directed to immediately halt all activities related to their awards and inform any subrecipients or contractors accordingly.
The sudden withdrawal of support raises concerns over the future of vital healthcare services addressing one of South Africa’s most pressing public health challenges.
Since its inception in 2003, PEPFAR has allocated approximately $8 billion to combat the HIV epidemic in South Africa, one of the countries with high infection rates.
For the current fiscal year alone, running from October 2024 to September 2025, about $439 million was earmarked for these efforts in the country.
In addition to PEPFAR-funded initiatives, USAID-supported district health projects not directly linked to PEPFAR are also being instructed to cease operations.
JN/APA