Latest news with #Johannesburg
The Australian
an hour ago
- Health
- The Australian
US funding cuts could reverse decades of gains in AIDS fight: UN
The halt to US foreign aid is a "ticking time bomb" that could reverse decades of hard-fought gains in the fight against AIDS, the United Nations warned Thursday. Around 31.6 million people were on antiretroviral drugs in 2024 and deaths from AIDS-related illnesses had more than halved since 2010 to 630,000 that year, the UNAIDS agency said in a new report. Now however, infections were likely to shoot up as funding cuts have shuttered prevention and treatment programmes, it said. The United States was the world's biggest donor of humanitarian assistance until President Donald Trump's abrupt slashing of international aid in February. That left the global humanitarian community scrambling to keep life-saving operations afloat. "We are proud of the achievements, but worried about this sudden disruption reversing the gains we have made," UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima told AFP ahead of the report's launch in Johannesburg. The agency in April warned that a permanent discontinuation of PEPFAR, the massive US effort to fight HIV/AIDS, would lead to more than six million new infections and an additional 4.2 million AIDS-related deaths in the next four years. This would bring the pandemic back to levels not seen since the early 2000s. - A 'ticking time bomb' - "This is not just a funding gap," Byanyima said in a press release. "It's a ticking time bomb" whose effects are already felt worldwide. Over 60 percent of all women-led HIV organisations surveyed by UNAIDS had lost funding or had to suspend services, the report said. In a striking example, the number of people receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs to prevent transmission in Nigeria fell by over 85 percent in the first few months of 2025. The "story of how the world has come together" to fight HIV/AIDS is "one of the most important stories of progress in global health", Byanyima told AFP. "But that great story has been disrupted massively" by Trump's "unprecedented" and "cruel" move, she said. "Priorities can shift, but you do not take away life-saving support from people just like that," she said. - Key research hit - Crucial medical research on prevention and treatment have also shut down, including many in South Africa which has one of the highest HIV rates in the world and has become a leader in global research. "Developing countries themselves contribute very much towards the research on HIV and AIDS, and that research serves the whole world," Byanyima said. In 25 out of 60 low- and middle-income countries surveyed by UNAIDS, governments had found ways to compensate part of the funding shortfall with domestic resources. "We have to move towards nationally owned and financed responses," Byaniyma said. She called for debt relief and the reform of international financial institutions to "free up the fiscal space for developing countries to pay for their own response". "It is the responsibility of every government to provide for its people," South Africa's health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said at the report's launch, calling the US pullout a "wake-up call". The global HIV response built from grassroots activism was "resilient by its very nature", Byanyima told AFP. "We moved from people dying every single day to now a point where it is really like a chronic illness," she said. "There is no question that the investment has been worth it, and continues to be worth it. It saves lives." jcb/ho/jj
Zawya
12 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Turkish Airlines, Airlink partner for Africa expansion
Turkish Airlines and South Africa-based Airlink have signed a codeshare agreement to strengthen the flag carrier of Türkiye's presence on the African continent. The agreement, which takes effect from 1 August 2025, was signed at a ceremony at Airlink's head office in Johannesburg, attended by senior executives from both airlines. The partnership will expand travel options by linking Turkish Airlines' global network with Airlink's extensive domestic and regional routes across South Africa and neighbouring countries. Passengers will be able to book seamless multi-sector journeys on a single ticket, with onward connections from Turkish Airlines flights arriving in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Under the agreement, Turkish Airlines will place its 'TK' flight code on Airlink-operated flights, offering greater flexibility and convenience for international and regional travellers. A boost for regional connectivity Commenting on the partnership, Levent Konukcu, Turkish Airlines' chief investment and strategy officer, says: "As Turkish Airlines, we give importance to this cooperation with Airlink to enhance our connectivity in South Africa and the region. "We aim to improve our partnership to maximise the travel opportunities offered to our guests. We believe that this partnership will not only bring benefits to both carriers from a commercial perspective but also improve the cultural and tourism relations between the two countries." Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht adds: This collaboration with Turkish Airlines represents a significant opportunity to deepen ties between the two airlines. "The agreement is a further endorsement of Airlink's brand, while for our respective customers, it means more convenient travel options, with world-class service and easier access to destinations across our combined and extensive route networks.' The codeshare is part of Turkish Airlines' broader strategy to grow its African footprint and improve regional connectivity for international passengers.
Zawya
13 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Turkish Airlines and Airlink have signed a codeshare agreement
Turkish Airlines, flag carrier of Türkiye, has signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement with South Africa-based Airlink to strengthen its presence on the African continent. The agreement, which will take effect on August 1, 2025, was signed at a ceremony held at Airlink's Head Office in Johannesburg, with the participation of senior executives from both companies. This strategic collaboration will significantly expand guests' travel options by integrating Turkish Airlines' unparalleled global network with Airlink's extensive domestic and regional routes across South Africa and its region. The partnership enables seamless multi-sector travel on a single ticket, offering greater convenience and flexibility for international and regional travelers. Under the new agreement, Turkish Airlines will place its 'TK' flight code on Airlink-operated flights, allowing smooth connections from Turkish Airlines' services into Cape Town and Johannesburg to a wide range of South African and regional destinations. Commenting on the agreement Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Strategy Officer Levent Konukcu stated; 'As Turkish Airlines, we give importance to this cooperation with Airlink so as to enhance our connectivity in South Africa and the region. We aim to improve our partnership to maximize the travel opportunities offered to our guests. We believe that this partnership will not only bring benefits to both carriers from a commercial perspective but also improve the cultural and tourism relations between the two countries.' Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said: 'This collaboration with Turkish Airlines represents a significant opportunity to deepen ties between the two airlines. The agreement is a further endorsement of Airlink's brand, while for our respective customers, it means more convenient travel options, with world-class service and easier access to destinations across our combined and extensive route networks.' With this collaboration, Turkish Airlines will not only advance its strategic growth in Africa but also further strengthen its regional presence while offering enhanced options for its guests. About Turkish Airlines: Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 485 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 353 worldwide destinations as 300 international and 53 domestics in 131 countries. About Airlink Airlink was established in 1992 and is Southern Africa's premier, privately-owned regional airline. With its fleet of over 65 modern jetliners, Airlink serves these cities and other destinations throughout Southern Africa as well as Madagascar and St Helena Island. It offers worldwide connections through its partners, which include many trusted and well-known intercontinental brands, 10 of which are codeshare partners, and its FlyNamibia franchise. Airlink's innovative 'Skybucks' frequent flyer programme rewards its loyal customers. Airlink is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), accredited under its IOSA safety audit programme, and certified through the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Organisation.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's tariffs put 100,000 jobs at risk in South Africa, central bank chief says
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on South Africa could cause around 100,000 job losses, with the agriculture and automotive sectors hardest-hit, central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said on Wednesday. Kganyago told local radio station 702 that the impact of the 30% tariff, which Africa's biggest economy faces from August 1, could cause significant damage to specific industries. "The impact in agriculture could actually be quite devastating because agriculture employs a lot of low-skilled workers, and here the impact is on citrus fruit, table grapes and wines," Kganyago said. He said statistics showing South African car exports to the United States slumped more than 80% in the wake of import tariffs imposed on cars by the Trump administration in April were very concerning. "If we do not find alternative measures the impact on jobs could be around 100,000, so that is what we actually face," the governor said. South Africa already has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with the official rate sitting at 32.9% in the first quarter of this year and an expanded definition at 43.1%. Farmer groups have also warned of the adverse impact of the tariffs on producers of citrus, macadamia nuts, grapes, wine, fruit juices and ostrich leather. In the citrus sector alone the tariffs have put 35,000 jobs in jeopardy and threaten to devastate towns such as Citrusdal in the Western Cape that are heavily dependent on exports to the U.S. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
16 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump's tariffs put 100,000 jobs at risk in South Africa, central bank chief says
JOHANNESBURG, July 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on South Africa could cause around 100,000 job losses, with the agriculture and automotive sectors hardest-hit, central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said on Wednesday. Kganyago told local radio station 702 that the impact of the 30% tariff, which Africa's biggest economy faces from August 1, could cause significant damage to specific industries. "The impact in agriculture could actually be quite devastating because agriculture employs a lot of low-skilled workers, and here the impact is on citrus fruit, table grapes and wines," Kganyago said. He said statistics showing South African car exports to the United States slumped more than 80% in the wake of import tariffs imposed on cars by the Trump administration in April were very concerning. "If we do not find alternative measures the impact on jobs could be around 100,000, so that is what we actually face," the governor said. South Africa already has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with the official rate sitting at 32.9% in the first quarter of this year and an expanded definition at 43.1%. Farmer groups have also warned of the adverse impact of the tariffs on producers of citrus, macadamia nuts, grapes, wine, fruit juices and ostrich leather. In the citrus sector alone the tariffs have put 35,000 jobs in jeopardy and threaten to devastate towns such as Citrusdal in the Western Cape that are heavily dependent on exports to the U.S.
