SANAC turns to National Lottery for HIV funding lifeline
Around 17 per cent of South Africa’s HIV budget comes from PEPFAR, the US initiative for AIDs relief.
South Africa.- Following the loss of US funding, the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) is seeking support from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) to help sustain HIV/AIDS initiatives.
According to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, the government is considering multiple solutions, including additional budget allocations, to address the funding shortfall.
Mashatile said that although life-saving medications remained available, the funding shortfall could lead to job losses in the sector.
Around 17 per cent of South Africa’s HIV budget comes from PEPFAR, the US initiative for AIDs relief. In monetary terms, that’s about R8 billion (€391.6m) in funding over the past 12 months.
Mashatile noted that the government is still searching for a solution to bridge the funding gap, with SANAC’s help.
He disclosed that the national lottery has tendered a funding proposal, which SANAC’s discretionary funding unit is currently considering.
In the meantime, the government is reaching out to other countries to negotiate low-cost medications.
The Minister of Science and Technology has also set up a working group to assess the impact of the funding withdrawal on key research and development projects.
The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) regulates the lottery and channels 47 per cent of its annual budget to support various charitable initiatives. It provides funding to non-profit organisations that contribute to the public good, and SANAC falls under this category.
In 2024, Ithuba, the country’s national lottery operator, reported R7.28 billion (€356m) in lottery sales and contributed R1.83 billion (€89.5m) to the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).
