China is expanding its role in the fight against HIV/Aids in Africa by funding new projects and backing local medicine manufacturing as part of its signature health initiative, the Health Silk Road.
Beijing’s larger presence comes as traditional Western aid wanes following the closure of the US Agency for International Development and sweeping cuts to the World Health Organization and the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar).
Pepfar was a major bilateral American initiative providing life-saving antiretroviral treatment and healthcare support for millions of people in developing countries.
Instead, Washington has signed bilateral health agreements with some African countries, though a few such as Zambia and Zimbabwe declined to sign the deals over worries about data sovereignty and sensitive health information sharing.
Following a recent trip to China, UNAids executive director Winnie Byanyima revealed that China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund was backing HIV prevention projects in Lesotho, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
South Africa, which has about eight million people living with HIV, received a US$3.49 million Chinese grant last year to fund prevention programmes targeting more than 50,000 young people and harm-reduction services for people who inject drugs.