South Africa’s health challenges: An elephant in the room

The United States and South Africa have a longstanding relationship around health. As one of the countries most deeply impacted by the AIDS epidemic, South Africa has been a major recipient of U.S. financial and technical assistance through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. HIV/AIDS remains a significant burden to the country, requiring ongoing attention and resources from the national government and its international partners. Millions of South Africans are on antiretroviral drug treatment, and the country’s rate of new HIV infections (1,700/week) is staggering, particularly among young women.