A groundbreaking project to study potential HIV vaccines in several African countries has been derailed by an abrupt cut in funding from the United States government. As a result, several promising vaccine candidates might not be tested in clinical trials. Catherine Tomlinson reports.
Amid major disruptions caused by aid cuts from the United States government, the health department aims to enrol a record number – an additional 1.1 million – of people living with HIV on life-saving antiretroviral medicine this year. Experts tell Spotlight it can’t be business as usual if this ambitious programme is to have a chance of succeeding. Ufrieda Ho reports.
Just over a month after US President Donald Trump implemented a 90-day freeze of all foreign assistance, the future looks very uncertain for tuberculosis research. Among others, a large TB research programme that was worth up to $200 million was axed last week. Elri Voigt reports.
South Africa faces its worst health crisis in 20 years. Worse than COVID, and one that will overshadow diabetes as a major killer, while pouring petrol on a dwindling TB fire. But it is preventable, argues Professor Francois Venter if our government steps up urgently.
South Africa’s public health system is in turmoil after the widespread cancellation of USAID funding agreements. Among others, a USAID-funded project that helped to keep orphaned children on their HIV medication was forced to close. HIV testing services are also severely impacted in some areas.
Medical aid schemes will be given collective power to negotiate prices, according to draft regulations published last week. While some see the move as an important step toward reining in private healthcare prices, others argue that they do not go far enough and are legally unsound. Chris Bateman spoke to several leading experts about the proposed reforms.
Cuts to United States spending on aid and medical research have caused widespread havoc and anxiety in the last month. Professor Tulio de Oliveira sat down with Spotlight’s Biénne Huisman to talk through what it might mean for health research in South Africa.
Despite a waiver on life-saving humanitarian aid, USAID funding for crucial medical services remains frozen. Services remain closed as organisations await approval of revised budgets limited to what is allowed under the waiver. A separate US agency – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – restored funding to its beneficiary organisations, allowing them to reopen thanks to a US court judgment.
In the first of a new series of monthly columns for Spotlight, Dr Andy Gray considers what we mean when we refer to medicines as ‘essential’ – something that is routinely done by the WHO and the health authorities in many countries.
Recent media reports over the future of NHI have been contradictory and hard to make sense of. Chris Bateman chased up those in a position to know where things stand – it seems the ANC has not in fact made any major concessions on NHI. There is however agreement that medical schemes won’t be phased out in the next few years, something that likely wouldn’t have happened in any case given the poor state of the economy and the long timeline for NHI implementation.
South Africa’s National Department of Health is still to outline a clear contingency plan as a US funding freeze puts lives at risk, spells job losses, and presents threats to keeping HIV and TB under control. Ufrieda Ho reports.
Cuts to United States funding of health research could have “catastrophic” consequences, says Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, who is at the helm of the country’s primary health research funder. He says the South African Medical Research Council is “heavily exposed” to the cuts, with around 28% of its budget coming from US federal agencies. Catherine Tomlinson reports.
