SA Health to fund HIV/Aids research to fill Pepfar void

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“There is no way we are going to allow the world’s biggest HIV/Aids programme to collapse – never,” said the minister.

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Securing funding

The minister said that after the US funding cuts, he approached the National Treasury as well as national and international organisations.

While the National Treasury has released R753m, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust will collectively release R200m. The Treasury has agreed to match the contributions of those organisations, which will be released over three years.

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“These amounts are intended to cover the most urgent needs, and further allocations may be considered later,” said Motsoaledi.

Funds will also be given to the South African Medical Research Council, which will then disburse funding to various research institutions and universities.

Game changing treatment

The minister also outlined the country’s plans for procuring lenacapavir. Lenacapavir is a long-acting injection for HIV prevention.

The minister considers lenacapavir a game-changer in the country’s fight against HIV/Aids and has indicated that it wants to be one of the first countries to receive and administer the injection. The first shipment of lenacapavir is expected to reach Africa by the end of the year.

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“We plan to offer lenacapavir to young women and everyone at risk to stay HIV-free,” said the minister. "We all know that for far too long, women and girls in our country have carried the greatest burden of this epidemic.”