Motsoaledi: Over 8k workers at PEPFAR facilities are jobless
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has disclosed that 8,061 health workers have lost their jobs following the termination of the PEPFAR funding.
According to Motsoaledi, the US-backed programme directly supported close to 16,000 health workers, and approximately 300,000 were employed at various facilities.
He noted that over 7,000 affected will remain in their roles until September 2025, thanks to interim funding provided by the US Centres for Disease Control.
The information was shared on Thursday during an update by the minister on measures taken to counter the effects of the US government's funding withdrawal on HIV/AIDS and TB response.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump implemented cuts to PEPFAR funding for South Africa as part of a wider foreign aid freeze under an Executive Order reviewing American development assistance policies.
The decision has drawn criticism from health professionals and advocacy organisations, who argue that it weakens global health initiatives and disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities.
Motsoaledi acknowledged that his department has no concrete strategy to assist the displaced workers.
“I wish we had any plans. At the present moment, all we can do is present our plans to funders. I have given you a long list of funders we have met. There is not a single one who said, ‘No, we will not help’. But up until today, there is not a single one who has come to the party. Either private funders or government around – there is not a single one.”
The only confirmed support thus far came from the Global Fund, which has pledged R1 billion, Motsoaledi revealed.
He also pushed back against suggestions that the country’s HIV/AIDS and TB programmes are on the verge of collapse due to PEPFAR’s exit.
He stressed that steps have been taken to address the shortfall.
Motsoaledi emphasised that these claims are misleading, pointing out that the government contributes R46 billion to the programmes, while Pepfar's share is R7.9 billion.
“We must put it categorically clear that under no circumstances will we allow this massive work performed over a period of more than a decade and a half to collapse and go up in smoke because President Trump decided to do what he has done,”
He further clarified that PEPFAR funding only extended to 27 out of 52 HIV high-burden districts in the country, supporting over 2,000 public facilities and 12 specialised NGO-run clinics.
The withdrawal has affected more than 63,000 patients, nearly 42,000 of whom are based in Johannesburg.
Motsoaledi said that as PEPFAR-funded clinics shut down, the medical records of impacted patients are being transferred to nearby public healthcare centres.
South Africa has already reached over 500,000 people living with HIV as part of its target to have 1.1 million individuals on treatment by the end of the year.
Motsoaledi assured the public that the country’s supply of antiretroviral drugs remains sufficient and the HIV programme is still functioning reliably.
“We have a stable supply of ARVS because we procure 90% of our ARVs from our own government fiscus, and this is supported by 10% from the Global Fund.”
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