Latest news with #NelliePeyton
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
South Africa does not plan to replace US HIV funds yet, minister says
By Nellie Peyton PRETORIA (Reuters) -South Africa's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Thursday that the government had not secured any new funding yet for HIV after the U.S. cut aid, and denied reports that its HIV programme was badly affected. The United States' global HIV initiative, PEPFAR, was paying for about 17% of South Africa's HIV budget until President Donald Trump slashed aid shortly after taking office. Reuters reported on Wednesday that HIV viral load testing had already fallen significantly across South Africa since the funding cut, which experts said was a clear sign that the health system was under strain. Motsoaledi acknowledged there were some problems but said it was inconceivable that South Africa's HIV programme could collapse and accused the media of spreading a negative message. "If the tests have gone down ... we will try to correct it, but we do not think it is a train smash," he said. Once the global epicentre of the HIV/AIDS crisis, South Africa has made huge strides in reducing cases and deaths in the last 20 years. But it still has the world's highest burden of HIV, with one in five adults living with the virus. The U.S. funding paid the salaries of more than 15,000 health workers, about 8,000 of whom have now lost their jobs, said Motsoaledi. "I'm not going to stand here in front of you and claim that we have got any plan for the 8,000 people beyond just speaking to funders and our own Treasury, which still have not yet responded on what's going to happen," he told reporters. His comments angered many people who work in the health sector, who have said for weeks that the government was not taking the funding loss seriously enough. HIV activists interrupted a parliamentary session in Cape Town on Wednesday in protest, demanding that the state put in place an emergency plan. "The health minister is in denial, and once again, South Africa will have to deal with the harmful public health consequences of not just the Trump administration, but also our own government's failure to plan adequately for months now," said Fatima Hassan, founder of the Health Justice Initiative, a South African NGO. ($1 = 18.1826 rand) (Additional reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Louise Heavens)
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Exclusive-HIV patient testing falls in South Africa after US aid cuts, data shows
By Nellie Peyton JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -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, previously unpublished government data shows. South Africa has the world's highest burden of HIV, with about 8 million people - one in five adults - living with the virus. The United States was funding 17% of the country's HIV budget until President Donald Trump slashed aid early this year. Data from the National Health Laboratory Service, a government entity, 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. Viral load testing measures how much virus is in the blood of people living with HIV who are on anti-retroviral treatment. It is normally done at least once a year. It checks whether the treatment is working and whether the virus is sufficiently suppressed to prevent it spreading to others. With less testing, fewer people who may transmit the virus will be identified. Missing a test can also indicate that a patient has dropped out of the system and may be missing treatment. It is especially important for pregnant women who may be at risk of transmitting HIV through childbirth, and for infants who need to be diagnosed and treated early to survive. Trump froze many foreign aid programmes early in his presidency, before reinstating some lifesaving assistance, including parts of the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), its global HIV initiative. But South Africa was also specifically targeted, with an executive order cutting all funding to the country in February. South Africa did not rely on U.S. funding for its HIV drugs, but about 15,000 health workers' salaries were paid by PEPFAR, which previously gave South Africa over $400 million a year. Most of that funding has been withdrawn, though it is unclear exactly how much. The health workers did HIV testing and counselling in districts with a high prevalence of HIV, and followed up when patients missed a check-up or dropped off treatment, which is common. The PEPFAR funding also supported NGO-run clinics which have now closed. The government has urged HIV patients who did check-ups at those clinics to go to public health centres instead, but public health centres often have long lines and staff can be unwelcoming to certain groups like sex workers or gay men. 'SHOCKING FIGURES' According to the data seen by Reuters, 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. Maternal viral load testing was down 21.3% in April after falling by 9.1% in March, and early infant diagnostic testing was down 19.9% in April after falling by 12.4% in March, the same data showed. The percentage of people who were virally suppressed among those tested also fell nationwide by 3.4% in March and 0.2% in April, with steeper declines for young adults, a further sign that patients may have had their treatment interrupted, the data showed. The data has not been made public. "These are shocking figures, with profound implications for maternal and child health across the country," said Francois Venter, executive director of the Ezintsha Research Centre in Johannesburg. Given a summary of the data, Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa's Department of Health, said more analysis was needed and that South Africa already had challenges with patient retention and viral load testing before the aid cuts. But HIV experts have said for months that the health ministry was downplaying the impact of the funding loss in South Africa, and that a drop in testing figures might be an early warning sign - followed by a rise in new cases and deaths. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "This data demonstrates what previous models have shown regarding the impact of PEPFAR/USAID cuts on pregnant women and their infants," said Dvora Joseph Davey, an epidemiologist working on maternal and infant HIV at the University of Cape Town. She said the impact was clear at five public health clinics where she works in Cape Town, which since the U.S. aid cuts have been under-staffed, with fewer nurses to draw blood which is needed for viral load tests. 'GOING TO DIE' HIV experts said that diagnostic testing was likely impacted by the funding cuts too, though that data was not available. The counsellors who used to do rapid diagnostic HIV tests are also gone, and pregnant women are no longer being put on preventative HIV drugs (PrEP) because the counsellors are the ones who used to offer that, Davey said. In the Johannesburg township of Diepsloot, HIV activist and community leader Sophy Moatshe said it was hard to get HIV patients to seek care because of the stigma, and that without health workers reaching out when they miss an appointment, many fall through the cracks. "These people, they don't want to go to the clinic," she said outside a community centre in the crowded informal settlement. "If there is nobody to check them, they're going to die." The long-term future of HIV-related U.S. assistance remains uncertain in South Africa and globally, as Trump pursues significant cuts to the international aid budget in line with his "America First" agenda. The cuts have also hit research, including HIV vaccine trials. Department of Health spokesperson Mohale said the government was speaking to prospective local and international donors about covering funding gaps, but declined to give details. The data on testing in April, however, was "a good indication of what's going to happen in the future," said Davey.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Africa's DA party challenges new racial equity law in court
By Nellie Peyton and Siyanda Mthethwa JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South Africa's Democratic Alliance party went to court on Tuesday to challenge new employment equity legislation which sets out numerical targets for the number of non-white people that companies should employ. The pro-business DA, the second-biggest party in government, says the new law violates anti-discrimination clauses in the constitution and gives the state too much regulatory power. Its larger coalition partner, the African National Congress, says the DA is trying to "preserve the apartheid-era economic status quo" and thwart its efforts to correct racial imbalances in the workplace that are apartheid's legacy. Statistics show that South Africa's companies are still dominated by white people at the top, with Black employees mainly occupying lower-level roles. Unemployment is much higher among Black citizens. Lawyers for the two sides made their opening arguments on Tuesday at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. "This case is about flexibility," said DA lawyer Ismail Jamie in court, adding that it is fine to set aspirational targets but not ones "so rigid that they constitute a quota", which he claimed the new ones do. Race remains a highly charged topic in South Africa three decades after the end of white minority rule. The DA's national leader is white and the party has a reputation for defending the interests of the white minority, which it denies. The Employment Equity Amendment Act, which took effect this year, updates a 1998 act that required employers to set diversity targets and report on their progress in meeting them. It is separate from an existing Black economic empowerment law which many critics say hasn't worked. That policy also sets targets for the number of Black people at management level, but firms can avoid it by earning points in other categories such as ownership or skills development. There is no penalty for non-compliance. TARGETS Under the new law, companies with more than 50 employees must meet sectoral targets for the number of non-white people, women and disabled people in skilled and senior roles, or justify their failure to do so. Firms that do not comply could lose government contracts and be fined. "If we continue the way that we are, we're never going to see the transformation that is required because people... will never get to top management," said Muriel Mushariwa, a law lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand and an employment equity consultant. She added, however, that it could be difficult for companies to comply with the new equity law and the Black empowerment programme, whose targets are broken down into different categories and not aligned. The DA says it supports redress but sees job creation as the primary solution. (Additional reporting by Thando Hlophe; Reporting by Nellie Peyton and Siyanda Mthethwa; Editing by Tim Cocks and Gareth Jones)
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Africa's DA party fights new racial targets for employers
By Nellie Peyton and Siyanda Mthethwa JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South Africa's Democratic Alliance party is going to court to challenge a new employment law that sets racial targets for large employers in an attempt to address the economic inequality that is a persistent legacy of former racist white minority rule. The Employment Equity Amendment Act, which came into effect in January, allows the labour minister to set targets per sector for the number of non-white people and women who should be in management-level and professionally qualified roles. The DA, the second-biggest party in government, will argue in court on Tuesday that it is unconstitutional, party officials said on Monday, in a case that is causing further friction with its bigger coalition partner, the African National Congress. The topic is especially heated since U.S. President Donald Trump condemned South Africa for alleged racial discrimination against its white population, and offered white South Africans refugee status. "We opposed it from the beginning, for the key reason that it will continue to drive unemployment up (and) economic growth down," DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille told a news briefing, saying this was because it would discourage companies from investing in South Africa. The DA also says it discourages companies from growing because those with 50 or fewer employees are exempt. Firms larger than that need to obtain a compliance certificate or justify their failure to meet the targets in order to do business with the state. Three decades after the end of white minority rule, racial divisions in South Africa remain stark. White people make up about 7% of the population but occupy 66% of top management level posts in the private sector, while Black people are more likely to be unemployed or in low-level jobs. Last month, the government published five-year targets for 18 sectors include mining, manufacturing and agriculture. In mining, for example, it wants 57.5% of top management to be Black, Indian or "coloured" people, a term for South Africans of mixed race. "This move is a clear attempt to reverse the progress made since 1994 and maintain the unfair status quo," the labour ministry said of the DA's court case. South Africa has been trying to empower its Black population for years through a rewards system which previously allowed companies to set their own targets. But cheating is high and critics say it has mainly enriched a handful of politically connected businessmen. (Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Tim Cocks)
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Factbox-The US-Africa trade programme under threat from Trump tariffs
By Nqobile Dludla and Nellie Peyton JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has moved to impose sweeping tariffs on most goods imported to the United States, including from African countries that benefit from a U.S. flagship trade programme for the continent. Analysts say the new tariffs suggest that the renewal of the initiative, known as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), is extremely unlikely. Here are some key facts about the trade accord: WHAT IS AGOA? AGOA is a U.S. trade initiative passed in 2000 under former President Bill Clinton to deepen trade ties with Sub-Saharan Africa and help African countries develop their economies. It provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for thousands of products including motor vehicles and parts, textiles and clothing, minerals and metals, agricultural products and chemicals exported by eligible African countries. It has been renewed twice and is due to expire in September 2025. WHO BENEFITS? About 35 African countries are currently eligible. Countries can lose and regain eligibility based on criteria including economic policies and protection of human rights. A number of countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar and Ethiopia have successfully used AGOA to boost exports to the U.S., drive industrialization and create jobs, especially in textiles, automotives and minerals including crude oil. The United States benefits by furthering its interests on the continent. It also gains access to critical minerals and investment opportunities. Countries that undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests are not eligible for AGOA. U.S. lawmakers view it as an important soft power tool, particularly as a counter to Chinese influence. Sectors such as South Africa's automotive industry as well as Kenya and Lesotho's clothing sectors would be hit hardest from a sudden rise in tariffs or non-renewal of AGOA. WHAT DO CRITICS SAY? Many analysts have said that AGOA is under-utilized. Only about half of eligible countries have developed national AGOA utilization strategies, and the majority of exports come from just a few of them. While the apparel sector and automotive industry have been the programme's biggest success stories, other industries have lagged. U.S. imports from AGOA beneficiaries peaked in 2008 at $82 billion and had fallen to $29.1 billion in 2024, according to the AGOA website. Some analysts say AGOA has had a positive impact but that it needs to be updated and improved to include newer industries such as technology and digital services. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? African countries want a 10-year extension, but economists say that the Trump administration's protectionist trade policies mean AGOA's renewal is unlikely. The new tariffs have heightened the risk that AGOA may be scrapped altogether even before it expires, unless the region presents strong bargaining chips to keep it in place, analysts say. Government officials from South Africa and Madagascar said they were waiting for clarity on whether the reciprocal tariffs announced by Trump will be applied to goods that are exported under AGOA. AGOA's extension requires a decision of the U.S. Congress and is thereafter signed into law by the U.S. President.
