With 2.4 million people on antiretroviral drugs and 100,000 added each month, South Africa is working to slow and combat an AIDS epidemic. As of 2013, figures have shown significant improvement in a span of five years as “Mother-to-child transmissions have dropped by 90 percent, new infections have dropped by a third, and life expectancy has increased by almost 10 years.” Despite these promising numbers, there exists a fear of deterioration of policies and quality of care, an issue examined in Donald G. McNeil Jr.’s NY Times piece “AIDS Progress in South Africa Is in Peril.” Much of South Africa’s success in fighting the AIDS epidemic can be credited to President George W. Bush’s 2003 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program that has provided the country with upwards of $3 billion.
Even with the aid money going towards training medical professionals, constructing clinics and laboratories, and purchasing medications, South Africa is a country of 6 million infected with around 37,000 new infections per year. The immense progress in AIDS treatment due to PEPFAR funds is largely attributed to the work of private practitioners, due to resistance from President Thabo Mbeki’s administration, who was ousted in 2008. Despite a new administration more receptive to AIDS outreach through public clinics, corruption and pilferage throughout local levels of government and a cultural stigma attached to AIDS has hindered the widespread implementation of effective policies. As PEPFAR funding continues to decrease, South Africa has been forced to take on the financial burden of AIDS care.
The country has done surprisingly well thus far, currently paying 83% of its own costs. However, the existing health systems infrastructure is unable to maintain quality of care as public clinics experience overflow and drug supplies run low. To maintain the integrity of our healthcare services Hope Through Health’s model in Togo relies on building local capacity and strengthening existing healthcare systems. While foreign aid can be crucial in providing necessary funds and initiating new programs, investment in the people and healthcare model of a nation are what make effective programs sustainable. Original article: AIDS Progress in South Africa Is in Peril by DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.