US Aid Cut Real Threat

HIV-POSITIVE: SA STRUGGLING TO TREAT OVER 63K VULNERABLE PEOPLE

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On a warm evening in Johannesburg, the news spread like wildfire among sex workers: within 24 hours, several non-profit clinics providing free HIV services would be closing as President Donald Trump announced the United States was slashing foreign aid. Some South Africans living with, or at risk of, HIV secured supplies of life-saving drugs just in time. Others did not.

Half a year later, the country with more people living with HIV than any other is struggling to treat its most vulnerable. Over 63,000 people were being treated in the 12 clinics across the nation that shut down.

Up to 220,000 people have faced disruption to their daily HIV medication.

The government has vowed it won't let the US withdrawal of about $427 million (about R7.4 billion) in support collapse its HIV programme, the largest in the world.

Sex workers, among the most vulnerable South Africans as their work is illegal, and transgender people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation from families or communities.