South Africa’s HIV Patient Testing Fell Following US Aid Cuts, Data Show

Reuters (5/14, Peyton) reports new data from South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) indicate that “testing and monitoring of HIV patients across South Africa have fallen since the United States cut aid that funded health workers and clinics, with pregnant women, infants and youth the most affected.” Prior to the Trump Administration slashing aid earlier this year, the US “was funding 17% of the country’s HIV budget.” NHLS data showed “that viral load testing fell by up to 21% among key groups in the last two months, which four HIV experts said appeared to be due to the loss of U.S. funding.” Furthermore, “the number of viral load tests conducted for people aged 15-24 fell by 17.2% in April compared to April last year, after dropping 7.8% year-on-year in March. Total population testing was down 11.4% in April.” HIV experts added “that diagnostic testing was likely impacted by the funding cuts too, though that data was not available.”