SA WON'T BEG USA FOR FUNDING- MOTSOALEDI

Minister has firmly stated that the country will not plead with the Trump administration to restore PEPFAR funding

- LISA ISAACS and SIYABONGA SITHOLE

SOUTH Africa will not beg the Trump administration to reinstate the US-backed programme that directly supported more than 16 000 health workers and played a key role in this country's fight against HIV/AIDS, says Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

Motsoaledi assured South Africans that the country's HIV/Aids programme was not at risk of collapsing due to the withdrawal of US foreign aid funding through the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar).

His remarks came a day after Reuters reported that funding cuts, particularly from the US, have been cited as the reason behind South Africa's startling decline in viral load testing.

"At the present moment, all we can do is present our plans to funders. I have given you a long list of funders we have met. There is not a single one who said, 'No, we will not help. But up until today, there is not a single one who has come to the party. Either private funders or government around there is not a single one," he said.

The Reuters report cited recent figures from the National Health Laboratory Service indicating a concerning decline in viral load testing a crucial measure that determines the amount of HIV virus present in the bloodstream of patients undergoing antiretroviral treatment. Experts report a staggering 21% drop in testing rates among key demographics over the past two months, directly linking these reductions to the loss of US funding.