Plans in place to get another 1.1m people on ARVs by end 2025 - Motsoaledi

CAPE TOWN - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says plans to get another 1.1 million people on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment before the end of the year are not under threat since the withdrawal of the United States’ PEPFAR funding. 

Motsoaledi said the government has already reached almost half that number despite claims from some quarters that there’s no evidence to support this. 

However, Motsoaledi said he has nothing to gain from being untruthful about the data. 

The Health Minister said a false narrative has been created that the country’s HIV/Aids treatment programme is on the brink of collapse since the withdrawal of US funding in January. 

"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 [Donald] Trump has decided to do what he’s done." 

While acknowledging the loss of over 8,000 healthcare workers who were paid from PEPFAR funding, Motsoaledi said every effort is being made to ensure patients receive their medication from other clinics and to train more clinicians to assist them. 

"We procure 90% of our ARVs from our own government fiscus, and this is supported by 10% from the Global Fund." 

Motsoaledi said at the current rate, he’s confident the government will reach the target of the “close the gap” campaign by the end of the year.