JOHANNESBURG - Health professionals, experts and activists have expressed concern over funding cuts to chronic medication for HIV/AIDS treatment.
They say the decision could undo over 25 years of progress in the fight against the epidemic and this could result in thousands of deaths and an escalation in new infections.
While South Africa funds around 80% of the HIV/AIDS treatments, the termination of USAID could have catastrophic consequences
Professor Linda Gail Bekker, CEO of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, discussed the impact of the problem on the African continent.
Prof Bekker said, "Our region is the hardest hit in the world: East, Central and Southern Africa, South Africa bearing the greatest brunt."
"We have the biggest epidemic in the world. We have been building this response over the last 25 years and there's no doubt that PEPFAR, the US government's president's emergency fund for AIDS relief has been integral in that response and we have been making significant headway," she said.