90% of ARVs in the country are paid for by the government: Motsoaledi

Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi says 90% of the antiretroviral (ARV) in the country is paid for by the government. This as some civil organisations and activists raised concerns over the Trump administration’s abrupt freeze on foreign aid funding, including the US President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Close to 8 million people in South Africa are living with HIV/AIDS.

Motsoaledi says PEPFAR only caters for 27 of 52 districts in the country.

“We buy our ARVs on our own. 90% of all our ARVs or the cost of ARVs, is paid for by the South African government. The other 10% is global funds, which are based in Geneva and it’s not affected by this. So, in the buying of ARVs, we are not affected. What we’re affected with are the 15,000 people and their operational cost; that is the one that we are faced with,” says Motsoaledi.

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The decision to halt aid funding will be effected after 90 days since it was signed by US President Donald Trump.

Motsoaledi says they will be meeting with US representatives on Monday for discussions.

“The US government, through their embassy in Tshwane, contacted us only on Friday, asking for a meeting. That meeting is going to take place on Monday and it’s only then that we’ll know what actually is on. Before that there was never any engagement and there was no information, safe the information we get from the NGOs who have been told to stop and written again told to continue for 90 days,” he adds.