China has committed $3.49 million to bolster HIV prevention services in South Africa over the next two years, under a new partnership brokered by UNAIDS, Beijing’s ambassador announced on Thursday.
South Africa, home to the world’s largest population of people living with HIV, previously depended on the United States for about 17% of its HIV funding—more than $400 million annually—until Washington cut back foreign aid earlier this year. Pretoria is now working to fill the resulting gap with domestic funding and new international partners.
The Chinese grant will focus on prevention services for young people and people who inject drugs, two of the groups most at risk of HIV infection.
“We are honoured to deepen our longstanding partnership with South Africa through this grant to support the country’s HIV response,” Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng said in a statement released ahead of the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg. “Beyond this project, we stand ready to support South Africa in building a sustainable HIV/AIDS response system through policy dialogue, innovative drug supply, technology transfer and capacity building.”
South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi welcomed the funding, saying it reinforces the country’s efforts to tackle HIV.
The pledge builds on a 2024 cooperation agreement between China’s development agency and UNAIDS, the UN body leading the response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.