HIV clinics in Johannesburg shut doors as United States funding freeze disrupts healthcare services

For over a week now, the doors of Johannesburg’s LGBTQ-focused clinic, OUT, have remained shut.

The clinic, which provides essential HIV prevention and treatment services to thousands, has been forced to suspend operations.

It’s not the only one—other major healthcare providers, including the University of the Witwatersrand’s HIV project, have also gone dark.

The sudden halt in services comes as a direct result of the U.S. government’s decision to freeze foreign aid, leaving healthcare workers and patients scrambling for solutions.

U.S. Funding Freeze Sparks Chaos

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 90-day freeze on foreign aid, creating widespread confusion and uncertainty for South African healthcare providers.

The move has particularly impacted PEPFAR, the U.S. HIV/AIDS response programme, which has been a crucial source of funding since 2003.

South Africa is one of the largest beneficiaries of PEPFAR, with the programme accounting for 17% of the country’s HIV budget.

It helps provide life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to around 5.5 million South Africans.

With that support now on hold, clinics that rely on these funds are facing an uncertain future.

Clinics Forced to Shut Their Doors

Dawie Nel, director of OUT, expressed deep frustration over the situation.

The clinic had been relying on a $2 million grant to continue services until September, supporting 2,000 people with HIV treatment and 4,000 more with PrEP, a preventative drug.

Without this funding, its work has come to a halt.

“The U.S. is a totally unreliable partner,” Nel said, criticizing the volatility of the funding system.

His clinic normally identifies several new cases of HIV every day, along with other sexually transmitted infections. Now, those in need of care have nowhere to turn.

Meanwhile, the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute has also been affected.

The institute, which provides essential healthcare to sex workers and transgender individuals, announced on social media that its clinics were “closed until further notice.”

The future of its operations remains uncertain as officials try to determine whether the recently announced humanitarian aid waiver will apply to them.

A Major Setback in the Fight Against HIV

South Africa has one of the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates, with an estimated 8.45 million people—around 14% of the population—living with the virus.

Despite a rocky past in responding to the crisis, the country has built one of the most extensive HIV treatment programmes in the world.

Experts warn that the U.S. aid freeze could undo much of the progress that has been made.

Anele Yawa of the Treatment Action Campaign expressed concern that without immediate action, countless people will be left without access to vital care.

“The PEPFAR-fund freeze will take South Africa and the world back in terms of the gains we have made in our response to HIV,” Yawa said.

“People are going to be left behind in terms of prevention, treatment, and care.”

South Africa Looks for Alternative Solutions

In response to the crisis, the South African government has vowed to reallocate funds to cover the shortfall.

However, with a stretched national budget, officials are struggling to determine which services should be prioritized.

Munya Saruchera, a director at Stellenbosch University’s African Centre for Inclusive Health Management, suggested that South Africa could use its position as the G20 president to push for broader discussions on global health funding.

Some experts believe that the U.S. retreat from foreign aid could open the door for other nations, such as China, to step in.

But Craig Lasher, a senior policy fellow at Population Action International, warned that prolonged delays in securing new funding would have devastating consequences.

“The longer these freezes last, the more difficult it will be to rebuild the programmes,” Lasher said. “Health workers and the communities they serve will face undue suffering.”

The Big Question: Should Clinics Rely on U.S. Funding?

As the crisis unfolds, one major question remains—should South African clinics be so dependent on U.S. funding in the first place? Some argue that relying on foreign aid puts critical healthcare services at risk, while others believe international partnerships are necessary for managing a crisis of this scale.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn