{
  "id": 17380391,
  "title": "How Trump Destroyed South Africa’s Effort to Slow HIV Transmission",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/how-trump-destroyed-south-africas-effort-to-slow-hiv-transmission",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-31T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Intercept",
    "slug": "the-intercept-theintercept",
    "url": "https://theintercept.com/2026/10/31/trump-south-africa-hiv-aids-funding-cuts/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When the Engage Men's Health Clinic opened in early 2024, it served as a free, one-stop shop for sexual health and gender-affirming medical care as well as HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. Located near seven universities in Johannesburg, it was a prime location for many college students to seek help before engaging in sexual activity for the first time. The clinic, adorned with a rainbow-colored mural of Simon Tseko Nkoli, the gay anti-apartheid activist, and signage from USAID, was a gift from the American people. However, this crucial clinic abruptly closed when the second Trump administration took office, leaving South Africa with a dire HIV crisis. South Africa accounts for about a fifth of the 41 million people living with HIV globally, with approximately 8 million people in the country affected by this virus. Public health workers in South Africa must actively seek out individuals with HIV, as they cannot simply rely on people coming to clinics. Since President Trump returned to the White House, HIV prevention groups have lost track of approximately 20,000 people with HIV in the Johannesburg and Pretoria region alone. Many of these patients were homeless, unemployed, and extremely poor, making them more susceptible to HIV transmission. Without U.S. funding, South Africa now faces a potential unmitigated HIV spread. The U.S. government provided over $580 million annually to South Africa in 2024, with 78% of that money going towards HIV/AIDS. However, this funding has been reduced to nearly nothing, causing a crisis for HIV care and prevention. The United States also leads the world in medical research for HIV, with more clinical trials conducted in South Africa than any other country. The profits of American drug companies depend on South Africans participating in these research trials. However, in June during America’s Pride Month, the U.S. announced that it will end all HIV funding in South Africa, causing global health concerns. South Africa's high rates of HIV require global coordination and an immense local network to manage healthcare effectively. With funding cuts, the care apparatus has become precarious, leading to a crisis of unemployment for Black LGBTQ+ workers. This has only exacerbated the already severe impact on those already marginalized in South African society, including those living with HIV/AIDS, immigrants, trans women, and the poor.",
  "summary": "In South Africa, home to the world’s largest population of people living with HIV, efforts to contain the virus have been upended. The post How Trump Destroyed South Africa’s Effort to Slow HIV Transmission appeared first on The Intercept .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}