South Africans fear spike in HIV infections as US aid cuts bite

Gugu used to collect her antiretrovirals from a USAID-funded clinic in central Johannesburg.

But when President Trump's cuts to aid funding were announced earlier this year, she and thousands of other HIV-positive patients across South Africa suddenly faced an uncertain future.

Gugu was lucky, the clinic where she got the medication that helps suppress her symptoms contacted her before it closed down.

"I was one of the people who was able to get their medication in bulk. I usually collect a three-month prescription. But before my clinic closed, they gave me nine months' worth of medication."

She will run out of antiretrovirals (ARVs) in September, and then plans on going to her local public hospital for more.

She currently works as a project coordinator for an NGO.

"We help pregnant sex workers get their ARVs, to ensure their children are born HIV-negative. We also do home visits to make sure that the mothers take their medication on time, and to look after their babies when they go for their monthly check-ups."

Many HIV-positive sex workers in South Africa relied on private clinics funded by the US government's now-defunct aid agency, USAID, to get their prescriptions and treatments.

But most of the facilities closed after US President Donald Trump cut most foreign aid earlier this year.

Gugu believes that many sex workers could be discouraged from going to public hospitals for their ARVs if they can no longer get them from clinics.

"The problem with going to public hospitals is the time factor. In order to get serviced at these facilities, you have to arrive at 4 or 5am, and they may spend the whole day waiting for their medication. For sex workers, time is money," Gugu says.

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Source: BBC News, 10 July 2025