Global Fund gives SA $547m boost to fight TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria

Johannesburg - The Global Fund has donated $547m (R8.8bn) towards HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria programmes in South Africa.

The intervention programmes are expected to run from April 2022 to March 2025.

The initiative is a joint effort of the National Department of Health, Beyond Zero, AIDS Foundation of South Africa (AFSA) and NACOSA.

Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as the chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), has welcomed the Global Fund grant that will continue to support, as well as strengthen, South Africa’s health system.

“The replenishment of the Global Fund will assist the country to continue making improvements in getting people tested for HIV, and continue the progress towards achieving the 90-90-90 goal, towards ending AIDS as a public health threat, by 2030.

“The grant will also ensure that South Africa’s Tuberculosis programme is expanded in line with the 2022 World TB Day theme, which called for more investment from donors to end TB and save lives,” said Mabuza.

In the wake of Covid- 19, the grant allows South Africa to be able to continue their efforts towards successfully implementing the efforts towards TB and HIV diagnosis and treatment responses, for both diseases.

“The funding that the Global Fund provides to HIV/AIDS and TB programmes in South Africa has been used for its intended purpose. It is for this reason that the Global Fund continues to offer funding to ensure that, as a country, we adequately respond to HIV, TB and the Covid-19 pandemic. We are grateful for the support that the Global Fund continues to provide, as this will ensure that we meet the objectives we have set for 2030,” said Mabuza.

The Global Fund is a key partner for global health that South Africa has benefited from. This is the seventh donation to the country since their first, in 2003, of $1.3 billion.

IOL