Health
US HIV funding withdrawal from South Africa could cost lives, UNAIDS warns
The Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Winnie Byanyima, has warned that the United States’ planned withdrawal of HIV/AIDS funding from South Africa could cost lives and undermine decades of progress in the fight against the disease.
Speaking ahead of a high-level United Nations meeting on HIV/AIDS, Ms Byanyima urged Washington to reconsider the decision and adopt a gradual transition plan to prevent disruptions to critical HIV services.
South Africa carries the world’s largest HIV burden, with about eight million people living with the virus. While the country funds most of its treatment programme, US support has remained crucial for prevention services, testing programmes and healthcare workers serving vulnerable communities.
Ms Byanyima said the funding cuts would have serious consequences for people who rely on these services.
“Taking it away is taking away life-saving support from the most vulnerable people,” she said.
Describing the move as “sad”, the UNAIDS chief warned that broader reductions in global aid funding were already affecting HIV prevention and treatment efforts in several countries.
She noted that the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) contributes more than $400 million annually to South Africa’s HIV response, accounting for up to 17 per cent of the country’s HIV funding.
According to her, the programme has played a critical role in supporting testing, prevention and community-based healthcare services, particularly among populations at higher risk of infection.
Funding withdrawal
The warning comes days after the Trump administration announced plans to begin a phased withdrawal of HIV/AIDS funding to South Africa through PEPFAR.
US officials linked the decision to disagreements with Pretoria over a range of domestic and foreign policy issues, including South Africa’s land reform programme, Black Economic Empowerment policies and what Washington described as insufficient protection for the white Afrikaner minority.
The South African government has rejected those claims, maintaining that its policies are designed to address inequalities inherited from apartheid and are consistent with constitutional principles.
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The funding dispute has raised concerns among public health experts because South Africa remains the epicentre of the global HIV epidemic. The country has more people living with HIV than any other nation and has relied on PEPFAR support for more than two decades to strengthen prevention programmes and health systems.
Although South African authorities have stressed that the procurement of antiretroviral medicines is largely financed through domestic resources, experts warn that cuts to prevention programmes, testing services and healthcare personnel could weaken the country’s broader HIV response and place vulnerable populations at greater risk.
UNAIDS has repeatedly cautioned that disruptions to HIV services could reverse hard-won gains in reducing new infections and AIDS-related deaths, particularly in countries with large treatment and prevention programmes.
The Yobe State Government has approved the enrolment of state and local government retirees into the Social Equity Programme of its health insurance scheme.
The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA), Babagana Tijjani, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Damaturu.
Mr Tijjani said the approval was granted by Governor Mai Mala Buni following a recommendation from the agency.
He said the initiative aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending among pensioners and improve access to comprehensive, quality healthcare services at YSCHMA-accredited health facilities.
According to him, the approval underscores the state government’s commitment to improving the welfare of retirees by ensuring they continue to access quality healthcare after retirement.
“This approval is another demonstration of the governor’s commitment to protecting the health and well-being of residents of the state,” he said.
“By bringing retirees under the social equity programme, the government is ensuring that senior citizens can access quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship.”
The executive secretary further said that the inclusion of retirees in the scheme aligned with the administration’s healthcare reform agenda and the state’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
He also described the development as a significant step in expanding access to healthcare and strengthening social protection.
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Mr Tijjani commended the governor for approving the initiative and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to its effective implementation.
He said the YSCHMA would work closely with pension unions, relevant government institutions and healthcare providers to ensure a transparent enrolment process and seamless access to healthcare services for eligible beneficiaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the YSCHMA was established under Yobe State Law No. 7 of 2019 to implement the state’s contributory healthcare scheme and promote equitable, affordable and qualitative healthcare services for residents.
The federal government has launched the National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services.
The framework introduces nutrition standards for food purchased with public funds as part of efforts to reduce unhealthy diets and curb the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
The guidelines, unveiled on Monday in Abuja at an event themed “Public Procurement of Food: Promoting a Culture of National Wellness Through the Food Value Chain,” are expected to influence food served in public institutions, including schools, hospitals, correctional centres and military establishments, by setting evidence-based standards on nutrition, food safety and quality.
Delivering his keynote address at the launch, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said the initiative marks a shift from viewing public procurement as a routine administrative process to using it as a strategic tool to improve public health and national development.
“When the government demands healthier, safer and more nutritious food, it creates incentives for the entire food system to innovate, improve quality and align with higher public health standards,” he said.
Why it matters
Mr Salako said the government remains the country’s largest institutional purchaser of food, meaning procurement decisions have the potential to influence food production, consumer behaviour and nutrition standards across the food value chain.
According to him, the guidelines establish limits on sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats in foods procured by public institutions while encouraging balanced and nutritious diets.
He said the document complements existing national policies, including the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction, the Trans Fat Regulation and the 2023 National Policy on Food Safety and Quality.
Rising burden of unhealthy diets
Mr Salako noted that unhealthy diets contribute to about 7.2 million deaths globally every year, driven largely by excessive consumption of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats as well as inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
He revealed that the average Nigerian adult consumes between 3.9 grammes and 4.9 grammes of sodium daily, almost double the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limit of 2 grammes.
Mr Salako added that increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has contributed to rising rates of obesity and diabetes, prompting the introduction of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, while industrial trans fats have also been restricted under Nigeria’s Trans Fatty Acid Regulation.
“These measures are designed to control dietary patterns that fuel the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, placing enormous pressure on health systems, national economies and household incomes,” he said.
Child malnutrition remains a concern
Mr Salako also highlighted the country’s persistent nutrition challenges, noting that malnutrition remains a direct or underlying cause of nearly half of the deaths among children under five years.
He said the Nigeria Mini Demographic and Health Survey found that about four in every 10 Nigerian children under five are stunted, while nearly two million children suffer severe acute malnutrition annually.
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“These are not merely health statistics. They represent profound human capital challenges with significant implications for educational attainment, labour productivity, household prosperity, national competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.”
Implementation key
Mr Salako stressed that the success of the guidelines would depend on effective implementation rather than their launch.
He urged procurement and accounting officers across government institutions to ensure compliance, noting that procurement decisions influence health outcomes, productivity and public confidence in government.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would continue to promote disease prevention through healthier public policies as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
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