The 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro highlighted growing concerns over the global HIV response, despite controversy over an inaccurate US presentation map of Africa. According to UNAIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation, donor funding for HIV/AIDS fell by 25% in 2025 after US spending through PEPFAR dropped from $6.7bn to $4.6bn, its lowest level in two decades.
Pharmaceuticals Made in SA (Pharmisa) asked Government to establish preferential procurement rules, tax incentives and extended contracts (up to seven years) to support medicines that are manufactured locally.
BRICS countries strengthened their commitment to healthcare cooperation by adopting the 16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Declaration, focusing on universal health coverage, digital health, pandemic preparedness, tuberculosis, mental health, medical research and traditional medicine.
Unpaid supplier accounts, chronic stock shortages and delayed purchase orders at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital could lead to a broader breakdown in medical services. – The Citizen (5 August 2026)