The Health departmental officials said that “a new plan will be shared" for when the funding ends in March 2026.
The Department of Health remains tight-lipped about what will happen to South Africa’s HIV/Aids healthcare when funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Bridge Plan ends next year.
In a presentation to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday, the department detailed how it would spend the $115 million (about R2.1 billion) recently received through PEPFAR’s Bridge Plan, aimed at sustaining HIV prevention and treatment.
According to the presentation, PEPFAR had initially paused all its projects in 27 districts following executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump in January. The move saw USAID funding terminated, leading to job losses for more than 8 400 healthcare workers across HIV/Aids programmes.
The department said the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) later resumed limited operations in February until September 2025, when PEPFAR confirmed a six-month extension, the Bridge Plan, to ensure continuity of HIV service delivery from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026.
What happens then?
Departmental officials were more ambiguous over what could follow, only saying “a new plan will be shared” when the funding ends in March 2026.
The Citizen reached out to the department for further comment and clarity on the way forward after this deadline. Any update will be included once received.
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Mounting concern over sustainability
The plan, valued at $115 million, focuses on maintaining core services with minimal programme changes, while implementing partners finalise provincial workplans.
While it cushions the sector for six months, uncertainty beyond March has alarmed civil-society groups and health experts.
The Citizen previously reported that more than 8 000 local healthcare workers lost their jobs when USAID funding was halted earlier this year, raising fears of a longer-term crisis in HIV care.
In February 2025, public-health researchers warned of a “huge disaster” if PEPFAR support ended abruptly, saying “in excess of half a million unnecessary deaths will occur [… ]and up to a half a million new infections”.
Civil-society organisations, including the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, have also voiced concern that “funding restrictions will affect many lives,” noting that “thousands of South Africans have benefited from these programmes, which must not be taken for granted”.
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Cabinet confident of continued cooperation
Earlier this month, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the government welcomed the Bridge Plan, describing it as “a demonstration of strong cooperation between South Africa and the United States.”
She said the plan would “enable the continuation of lifesaving HIV/Aids treatment and prevention services” while discussions on a long-term funding model continue.
“South Africa remains committed to working with all its partners to ensure the sustainability of its HIV response,” Ntshavheni said during a cabinet briefing.
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