Cancellation letters, which end millions of rands of South African universities’ US-government funded HIV and TB research grants with immediate effect, started to roll in over the weekend. Fears are rife that the Trump administration might stop all grants, which holds devastating implications for the country.
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 15, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 2, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/June 5, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/May 28, 2025
On the outskirts of Hillbrow, Johannesburg, Fight with Insight has become more than just a boxing gym. It teaches children how to deal with emotional pain and prevent self-harm through exercise, discipline and respect.
Anna-Maria van Niekerk is Bhekisisa’s news editor. She joined the centre after six years as the managing editor of the investigative television show, Carte Blanche. Anna-Maria has an extensive career in in-depth health and human rights reporting and has been named both the Vodacom Journalist (2002) and Discovery Health Journalist of the Year (2010) for exposés on the selling of human body parts for muti in Limpopo and the devastating consequences of HIV denialism.
- Anna-Maria van Niekerkhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/anna-m/July 2, 2025
- Anna-Maria van Niekerkhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/anna-m/May 28, 2025
- Anna-Maria van Niekerkhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/anna-m/April 30, 2025
- Anna-Maria van Niekerkhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/anna-m/March 31, 2025
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 15, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 2, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/June 5, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/May 28, 2025
Jessica Pitchford is Bhekisisa's TV and multimedia editor. She's been a journalist since the early nineties and has reported on some pivotal events in South Africa’s political history, such as the country’s transition to democracy and the work of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/July 2, 2025
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/May 28, 2025
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/April 30, 2025
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/March 31, 2025
Yolanda Mdzeke was a junior multimedia reporter and multimedia reporter at Bhekisisa between March 2021 and June 2025.
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/July 2, 2025
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/May 28, 2025
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/April 30, 2025
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 31, 2025
Thatego Mashabela is a multimedia producer at Bhekisisa.
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/July 2, 2025
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/May 28, 2025
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/April 30, 2025
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/March 31, 2025
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/July 2, 2025
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/April 30, 2025
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/March 31, 2025
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/February 25, 2025
- Jeannine Du Preezhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jeannined/January 27, 2025
A third of the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria’s money comes from the United States. The other contributions come from other wealthy governments and philanthropic organisations.So what happens if the Trump administration decides to cut its contributions to the Fund? We work it out.
Linda Pretorius is a consultant for Bhekisisa’s data desk.
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/June 11, 2025
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/May 12, 2025
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/April 24, 2025
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/March 3, 2025
Jacques Verryn is a software developer and independent consultant, with special interest in data analysis and visualisation.
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/June 11, 2025
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/May 12, 2025
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/April 24, 2025
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/March 3, 2025
There were empty seats in San Francisco last week at an annual international science conference which has delivered some of the world’s most groundbreaking HIV research. It was a throwback to another era — a time when Aids activists were fighting for their lives — and a frightening glimpse of the future under the Trump administration.
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 15, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 2, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/June 5, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/May 28, 2025
SA’s budget can only afford to employ 800 of 1 800 unemployed doctors, despite vacancy rates for public sector facilities ranging between 5% and 22%.
- Bhekisisa Teamhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/bhekisisa-team/June 17, 2025
- Bhekisisa Teamhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/bhekisisa-team/May 15, 2025
- Bhekisisa Teamhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/bhekisisa-team/May 5, 2025
- Bhekisisa Teamhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/bhekisisa-team/March 25, 2025
Following the execution of Muhsin Hendricks, the openly gay imam who created safe places for queer Muslims to practice their faith, Zackie Achmat reflects on the dangerous ways religious communities fuel hate — and his own banning from the community over 30 years ago.
Zackie Achmat is a socialist who has been active in politics since 1976.
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Chaos and devastation. That’s the position SA USAID-funded projects find themselves in after the Trump administration closed them down overnight on February 26. Will the US government now kill its HIV fund too?
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 15, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 2, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/June 5, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/May 28, 2025
Danny Booysen is a freelance audio technical producer and has over 30 years of experience in the broadcast industry.
- Danny Booysenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/danny-booysen/April 15, 2025
- Danny Booysenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/danny-booysen/February 26, 2025
- Danny Booysenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/danny-booysen/February 11, 2025
- Danny Booysenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/danny-booysen/January 30, 2025
Yolanda Mdzeke was a junior multimedia reporter and multimedia reporter at Bhekisisa between March 2021 and June 2025.
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/July 2, 2025
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/May 28, 2025
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/April 30, 2025
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 31, 2025
The major backer of the lenacapavir roll-out is assuring nervous researchers that they will keep their part of funding promises. It’s a good economic investment, says the Fund’s Peter Sands, into a game-changing drug that could save millions of lives.
Ida Jooste is a seasoned health and science journalist. She has worked in newsrooms in Durban, Johannesburg and Nairobi, winning more than 20 national and international media awards for her work. An international trainer and speaker, she led a global COVID-19 media initiative and provides journalist mentoring in all areas of health science.
- Ida Joostehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/idaj/July 14, 2025
- Ida Joostehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/idaj/May 23, 2025
- Ida Joostehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/idaj/April 22, 2025
- Ida Joostehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/idaj/February 13, 2025
Healthcare doesn’t come cheap and rolling out National Health Insurance will cost a lot of money. The NHI Act says that funding healthcare for all should come from tax. But with tax payers already under pressure, will there be enough money to cover everyone? We do some sums to look at different options.
Linda Pretorius is a consultant for Bhekisisa’s data desk.
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/June 11, 2025
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/May 12, 2025
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/April 24, 2025
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/March 19, 2025
Jacques Verryn is a software developer and independent consultant, with special interest in data analysis and visualisation.
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/June 11, 2025
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/May 12, 2025
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/April 24, 2025
- Jacques Verrynhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jacquesv/March 19, 2025
Pepfar-funded HIV organisations in South Africa, who receive their funds through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, woke up to letters that were sent overnight telling them their grants have been ended — permanently. The let …
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 15, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/July 2, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/June 5, 2025
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/May 28, 2025