Home to the world’s largest HIV epidemic, the country is grappling with a crisis after major US funding cuts under Donald Trump forced vital clinics to shut down. The decision has resulted in vulnerable groups losing safe, stigma-free access to antiretroviral drugs and HIV prevention services. Patients, once supported by tailored care, are now left to fend for themselves or risk humiliation at public clinics. As infections rise and trust erodes, many fear the undoing of decades of progress. With the government struggling to fill the funding gap and vulnerable populations falling through the cracks, South Africa teeters on the edge of a public health disaster.
The Guardian
