Bhekisisa: In 2 years the Global Fund will cut South Africa’s grant by a quarter. In 8 years it will be gone

Bhekisisa analysis

— South Africa has less than eight years before the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria phases out its grants entirely — and in the upcoming funding cycle, the country will already receive about a quarter less than before: just under $345-million, down from roughly $464-million.

— The cuts hit hardest for “key populations” — sex workers, gay and bisexual men, transgender women and people who inject drugs — who have a much higher chance of getting HIV and depend heavily on specialised, donor-funded services which the government has been slow to take over.

— Preventing one new HIV infection with a daily HIV prevention pill among sex workers costs R10 368 and among gay and bisexual men R19 618 — far cheaper than the R22 797–R37 304 it costs in the general population, making these programmes among the most cost-effective.

— A government-commissioned plan to bring key population services into public clinics was completed in 2023 but has still not been approved — leaving the country without a clear way ahead as funding shrinks and experts warn of a measurable rise in infections within five years.

Read the full analysis here.