With President Cyril Ramaphosa being “too busy with the G20” and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, “missing in action”, critics warn that the cost of doing nothing regarding the HIV treatment programme puts millions of lives at risk. – MedicalBrief (24 April 2025)
While SA’s HIV programmes are unravelling, due to US President Donald Trump’s suspension of the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants, Ramaphosa and the Government of National Unity (GNU) are nowhere to be seen. Motsoaledi, once praised for his HIV leadership, offers no leadership, communication, or urgency.
NGO-led clinics closed overnight, stockouts were reported of antiretrovirals (ARVs), and thousands of workers across HIV programmes lost their jobs.
“What’s desperately needed is a combination of urgency, action and strategy, writes Professor Francois Venter in GroundUp, otherwise South Africa will see record numbers of children being born infected with HIV – and the country’s hard-won victories against TB being reversed.
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