Context:

Zackie Achmat, a prominent AIDS activist in South Africa, has resumed his advocacy efforts due to U.S. funding cuts to the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and his government's lack of action. Achmat, who had retired after significant victories in the early 2000s, was drawn back into activism when the Trump administration's budget reductions threatened the stability of South Africa's HIV program. The South African government, while claiming the situation is under control, has provided minimal information or action, causing concern among activists who fear a repeat of past struggles. Despite government reassurances, many clinics have closed, and access to HIV services has decreased, leading Achmat and others to mobilize once again. Their efforts echo the past when they successfully sued the government to provide lifesaving treatment, and they now believe similar actions may be necessary to ensure continued access to medication.

Dive Deeper:

• Zackie Achmat, who co-founded a powerful social movement in post-apartheid South Africa for HIV treatment, has returned to activism due to recent U.S. funding cuts to PEPFAR and his government's inaction. This resurgence of activism comes after Achmat's retirement following successful campaigns that led to the establishment of South Africa's robust HIV treatment program.

• In January, the Trump administration drastically reduced PEPFAR's budget, eliminating $440 million in support that paid salaries for thousands of healthcare workers in South Africa's HIV program. This sudden loss of funding led to the closure of clinics and loss of services, prompting Achmat and others to demand government intervention.

• South Africa's Health Minister, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, initially assured the public that the government had a plan and there was no need for panic, but weeks passed without further communication or action, causing increased anxiety among activists and the public.

• Achmat and his group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), confronted health officials during a public meeting to demand accountability and action from the government. The confrontation highlighted the tension between activists and officials, reminiscent of past conflicts when the government resisted providing HIV treatment.

• Despite the government's claims that the country can manage without U.S. funds and that clinics continue to operate, public health experts and activists point out significant service disruptions and fear a repeat of the harmful policies of the past, leading to renewed calls for legal action to compel government response.