US donates aid to SA to strengthen fight against Covid-19 The Mercury | Karen Singh | May 8, 2020 Durban – The United States has committed to donating R410m towards South Africa’s fight against Covid-19. According to US ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, the package includes R250 million through our US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She said the money was …
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The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is donating up to 1000 much-needed ventilators and accompanying equipment to South Africa to assist with its national response to COVID-19. Ventilators are highly specialized medical equipment used in intensive care units. These are used to support individuals whose lungs are not working adequately despite receiving oxygen. …
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Press Release | April 22, 2020 The United States government through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committing funds to support South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a new tranche of global health funding of $13,200,000 (R250,000,000). This brings this total United States government commitment to the COVID-19 response …
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Daily Maverick | Peter Fabricius | April 20, 2020 The US has just stepped up its financial assistance to South Africa’s anti-coronavirus campaign to $8.4-million (about R158-million) “And there are tranches coming every few days,” US ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks said. She told Daily Maverick the money coming into South Africa was being …
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Opinion Editorial News24 2020-04-17 09:10 Just as the US has made the world more healthy, peaceful, and prosperous for generations, so will we lead in defeating our shared pandemic enemy, and rising stronger in its wake, writes US ambassador Lana Marks. The story of US leadership in the global battle against Covid-19 is a story of …
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Press Release April 16, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The United States government is committing additional funds to support South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing its total commitment to approximately $2,770,000. Previously the United States government committed $970,000, including the first $500,000 announced on March 11, to the COVID-19 response in South Africa. Today’s announcement provides an additional …
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Opinion Editorial: U.S. Ambassador-designate Lana Marks Mail and Guardian December 11, 2019 For far too long, women around the world have endured violence, sexual harassment and discrimination. It is chilling to wake up to weekly news of missing daughters, assaults and murders. You’ve seen their faces on TV and have heard their tragic stories. Karabo …
Read More» An Implementer’s Guide to the Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate-Lamivudine Dolutegravir (TLD) Transition Objective: This best practice symposium provided a forum for National Department of Health, partners and local stakeholders to interact with counterparts from regional countries (Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Malawi) to discuss experiences and showcase strategies and plans that will enable the roll out of …
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Independent Online Opinion 30 November 2019, 3:00pm U.S. Ambassador-designate Lana Marks This past Tuesday, I had the privilege of touring Laudium Community Health Centre, a large Pepfar-supported public clinic in Tshwane. The American people, through the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, are committed to helping South Africa reach HIV epidemic control by the end of …
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Remarks Ambassador Lana Marks Wednesday, November 13, 2019 Consulate General Johannesburg Good afternoon, and thank you all for joining me here today on what is, in effect, my first day in the office. After flying in over the weekend and spending the last two days at the African Investment Forum, I arrived at the U.S. …
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News 24 Guest Column November 13, 2019 As the senior US diplomat in South Africa, and as a determined businesswoman myself, I will especially strive to help more women to achieve their professional goals, including reaching senior levels of management, writes Lana Marks. As a young girl growing up in East London, and as a …
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Remarks (As Prepared) AmCham Prosper Africa Breakfast One & Only Hotel, Cape Town Wednesday, September 4, 2019 Deputy Chief of Mission David Young Thank you for the introduction and it is a pleasure to be with you today. Although I have only recently arrived in South Africa, I have heard a lot about the economic …
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Press Release Embassy of the United States 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria July 19, 2019 To honor Nelson Mandela’s legacy of public service, a team of more than 30 volunteers from the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria spent Thursday at the Zola Community Health Center (CHC) in Soweto. The team of American and South African Embassy …
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MEDIA STATEMENT Issued by: Ministry of Health and PEPFAR Tuesday, 11 June 2019 Government welcomes PEPFAR HIV funding Commitment Pretoria: The Ministry of Health welcomes ($732 million) R10 billion funding approval by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) towards South Africa`s HIV programme. This much-anticipated funding announcement was made …
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Press Release | December 3, 2018 U.S. announces a total of $1.2 billion over two years to support South Africa’s HIV response to reach epidemic control The United States’ Global AIDS Coordinator & Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, Ambassador Deborah L. Birx M.D, and South Africa’s Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, announced yesterday …
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Excitement was the order of the day as 33 new American Peace Corps Volunteers were sworn-in during a special ceremony at the U.S. Community Center in Pretoria on Monday, April 16. This 37th cohort of volunteers arrived in South Africa in January before embarking on an immersive 10-week training schedule that included training in language, …
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Press Release | March 23, 2018 The U.S. Consul General to Durban, Sherry Zalika Sykes, attended South Africa’s World Tuberculosis (TB) event on March 21, in Cato Manor, Durban. The event was co-sponsored by the United States and attended by Deputy President David Mabuza, His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, Minister of Health Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, …
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Press Release | March 19, 2018 To explore ways to bring fresh perspectives into HIV reporting in South Africa, the U.S. Embassy sponsored a three-day workshop for South African journalists in Johannesburg from March 13-15, 2018. Participants included reporters and editors from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape. The course provided an …
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UNITED STATES GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR VISITS SOUTH AFRICA TO ADVANCE U.S.-SOUTH AFRICA HEALTH PARTNERSHIP Media Release March 13, 2018 The U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Deborah Birx visited South Africa from February 19 to March 1 regarding implementation of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The American people, through PEPFAR, are deeply committed …
Read More» Media Advisory | September 19, 2017 Under this new Strategy, the United States, through PEPFAR, will continue to invest in over 50 countries, including continued substantial investments in South Africa. The U.S. government remains committed to partnering with South Africa and commends the South African government’s continued leadership and increasing financial contribution to its response. …
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Over 866 nursing graduates have benefited from high quality training through the Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI) between the governments of South Africa and U.S. Durban | August 25, 2017: U.S. Embassy South Africa Health Attaché Steve Smith officially handed over the #NEPI program to South Africa’s National Department of Health at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital …
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On her recent visit to the Lowveld, the US Embassy’s chargé d’affaires, Jessye Lapenn, learned more about some of the work the Embassy does in Mpumalanga. Lowvelder | June 24, 2017 | Philippa Francis MBOMBELA – Lowvelder joined the American acting ambassador on her visit to GRIP on Monday afternoon, where CEO Sakina Mohamed outlined the sex-work programme. The organisation uses a Pepfar …
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PEPFAR Approves 2017 Budget to Support South Africa’s Fight Against HIV/AIDS and TB Media Advisory: May 5, 2017 On April 25, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, Ambassador Deborah Birx, approved PEPFAR’s $483 million Country Operational Plan 2017 (COP2017) budget for South Africa, an increase over 2016. The COP2017 budget …
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The U.S. Consulate General Durban supports the work of the Denis Hurley Centre’s Usizo Lwethu Clinic The U.S. Consulate General Durban congratulates the Usizo Lwethu Clinic for its remarkable accomplishments in 2016. The clinic, located in the Denis Hurley Centre in downtown Durban, reported a notable increase in patient visits from 17,000 in 2015 to …
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DREAMS Event Features Guest Speaker Oprah Winfrey Media Advisory | December 3, 2016 U.S. Ambassador Patrick Gaspard hosted an audience of young South African women on Friday for what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet global media leader and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey. Ms. Winfrey, who is in South Africa celebrating the sixth graduating class …
Read More» Press Release | July 18, 2016 PEPFAR and DREAMS Partners Announce Winners of the $85 Million DREAMS Innovation Challenge $40 Million Targeted on Keeping Girls in Secondary School Durban, South Africa – Today, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (Janssen), one of the Janssen pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & …
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IOL | SPECIAL FEATURE | 15 Jul ’16, 2:16pm Aaron Motsoaledi and Patrick Gaspard #AIDS2016: 16 years on, many gains have been made When the International Aids Conference opened in Durban 16 years ago, the challenge seemed insurmountable. Scientists were projecting that half of South Africa’s young people would die of Aids. At …
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Media Advisory | July 11, 2016 PEPFAR Investing More Than $410 Million Towards an AIDS-Free Generation in South Africa The U.S. government, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has approved 2016 Country Operational Plan (COP16) programming and funding of $410 million (R 5.7 billion) towards the goal of achieving an AIDS-free generation …
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Consul General Christopher Rowan visited a couple of sites that demonstrate the unshakable commitment of the United States to South Africa in combating HIV/AIDS and reducing stigma, both around testing and treatment and for children in families affected by HIV. CG Rowan visited the Shout-It-Now testing site in Tsakane, Johannesburg and Nanga Vhutshilo, a children’s care …
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To mark the UN International Day of the Girl in October, Consul General Frances Chisholm visited female students at uMkhumbane Secondary School in Chesterville. More than fifty girls are part of a peer educator program supported by U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Community Grants recipient Hope2Educate. This organization works to reduce the number of young teens engaged in sexual …
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Garlicke & Bousfield Attorneys recently hosted U.S. Consul General, Frances Chisholm, to discuss the latest United States initiatives on HIV /AIDS in South Africa. Consul General Chisholm indicated that U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Nike Foundation, to launch an international initiative, DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe women) to reduce new …
Read More» U.S. Consul General Frances Chisholm joined KwaZulu-Natal‘s Member of the Executive Council for Health, Dr. Sbongiseni Dhlomo and Dr. Albertina Luthuli to participate in the Rotary Family Health Day Campaign at the Luthuli Museum in Groutville on October 7. The community received free TB screening, testing and counselling for HIV, vitamin A supplements, and healthy lifestyle information. The program also provided …
Read More» A large, mostly-male crowd turned out for the August 14 dialogue, “Men Standing Against Violence Against Women” at the Durban Playhouse. Organized by Dramaide.co.za through the Brothers for Life campaign with support from USAID – U.S. Agency for International Development and The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) , the event was part of the 19th South African Women’s Arts Festival. Speakers included Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi …
Read More» U.S. Consul General Chisholm joined KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Health Dr. S.M. Dhlomo for the August 4th unveiling of a “Dual Protection” billboard near Mangosuthu University of Technology in Durban. The dual protection program emphasizes both medical male circumcision and condom use to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS. In her remarks of support, CG Chisholm highlighted the …
Read More» Consulate Durban’s “GeneratioNEXT” youth leaders hosted a July 11 Career Expo at KwaMashu Township, north of Durban. The event brought young people face-to-face with NGOs, businesses, and educational institutions in KwaZulu-Natal. Exhibitors included the University of KwaZulu- Natal, the South African Department of Labor, Activate Changer Drivers, and KZN Youth Empowerment Project. The U.S. Consulate’s …
Read More» Consul General Chisholm visited Iqraa Trust Chairman Dr. Mahmoud Youssef-Baker on May 25. Dr. Baker briefed the Consul General on the Trust’s support for a wide range of projects in education and skills development, health care initiatives, and youth development. CG Chisholm noted the common interests of the U.S. Government and the Iqraa Trust in promoting strong …
Read More» PEPFAR, Nike Foundation and Gates Foundation Partnership Restores Hope for an AIDS-free Future for Girls Amb. Deborah L. Birx, M.D. | Huffington Post |12/09/2014 3:11 pm EST Ask an adolescent girl about her dreams for the future and hopefully you will hear bold ambitions: dreams of becoming a doctor, lawyer, scientist or a …
Read More» On Dec 8, Consul General Frances Chisholm visited an important site in the history of healthcare in South Africa, the former Addington Children’s Hospital on the Durban beachfront. Now called the “KZN Children’s Hospital,” its structure is the formerly abandoned Addington Children’s Hospital whose doors were closed in 1984 as it was a “nonracial” institution …
Read More» On December 1, Consul General Frances Chisholm joined provincial and district officials commemorating World AIDS Day 2014 at Ntambanana Municipality in the uThungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal. Expanding on the theme of “Zero Stigma and Discrimination,”participants took stock of past successes, assessed future challenges, and stressed the need to change social attitudes toward those living with …
Read More» The U.S. Government, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program has invested $4.9 million (R49million) towards MomConnect, a program aimed at preventing maternal mortality through the use of mobile phone technology. With MomConnect, the South African Government expects to save more lives by following women in their communities via mobile phone …
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MTHIMUDE – A small clinic in rural KwaZulu-Natal province is making waves for its impressive quality results of health data management. Mthimude Clinic is now being held as a shining example, after achieving the highest rating nationwide, for health information pre-audits conducted by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial department of health. Each year the Auditor General South …
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Jabhile Gloria Nkosi, aged 49, lives in Thabo Village, Extension 3 Breyten, Mpumalanga. She is a talented seamstress and a proud, strong woman. She is also HIV positive – and this is her story. Breyten is a small farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa, with the community doing most of their household business in the …
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Most medical students and practitioners agree that when consulting with patients for any disease, they focus mostly on the patient and not themselves as being at risk. And yet, through some of the stories shared at the PEPFAR-supported SA TB conference 2014, it is evident that nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers are at the …
Read More» “Powerful … a lyrical and beautifully told story … stunning mountain scenery and absolutely authentic Basotho characters … the first movie I have seen that does not depict poverty in a negative way.” These were some of the comments from guests at the April 9 premiere of “The Forgotten Kingdom,” a film shot in South …
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“I’m thankful to the South African Health System to be alive because TB can be prevented and cured yet it can be fatal if left unattended” – these are the words of a TB survivor and ambassador, Thabo Pelesane. Pelesane, who was born in the township of Jouberton in Klerksdrop, North West, suffered with TB …
Read More» On Monday 3 February 2014, 35 members of civil society representing 18 different sectors and affiliated to the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) met with representatives from the United States Government in Benoni to engage in discussions regarding PEPFAR programs and strategic direction. Organizations represented include the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), …
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U2 singer and philanthropist Bono accepted the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Visionary Award this week on behalf of U2. This is the first time the award was given to someone other than a filmmaker. Bono used the award acceptance opportunity to speak about his band’s advocacy work. The following is a transcript of excerpts …
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South Africa, with support from the United States through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), provides more than 2.4 million of its people with antiretroviral treatment (ART) – saving countless lives, keeping families together, and increasing South Africa’s overall economic productivity. Since 2004, PEPFAR has invested more than $4.2 billion in South Africa’s …
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During the week of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) 7-11 December 2013, Team Shuga, courtesy of the MTV Stay Alive Foundation visited Cape Town for the South African premiere of Shuga. Set against night clubs, bars and student hangouts of Lagos, Nigeria, the MTV drama series Shuga relates a bitter-sweet …
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The PEPFAR-supported ZAZI (know your strength) campaign took to kwaZulu- Natal’s eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma on Saturday August 31, 2013, reaching out to about 40 000 girls to promote awareness of pertinent issues affecting young girls such as delaying sexual debut, the promotion of dual protection (contraception and condom usage) and violence against women …
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A person needs to spend only a moment speaking with a staff member at the Amsterdam Community Health Centre (CHC) or one of the 1,430 patients currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the facility to understand the benefits of Nurse Initiated and Managed Antiretroviral Treatment (NIMART). Caring nurses like BroadReach’s Nurse Mentor Elza Marx tops …
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August is women’s month in South Africa and one of the prominent HIV and Aids awareness crusades running this month is the ZAZI campaign. Zazi (know your strength), was launched on May 25, 2013. This is a campaign aimed at Women and Girls led by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Women’s Sector, with …
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Jacob Jabari and Nkonzo Khanyile can’t wait for the weekend of Saturday June 29 2013. On this day, they will be among a few South Africans who will get to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in a town hall for Young African Leaders at the University of Johannesburg – Soweto Campus. President Obama is visiting …
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PEPFAR-supported award winning production 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls raised the ante in local television drama when it scooped seven awards including the Best TV Drama Series at the 2013 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls is a South African television drama series produced by Quizzical Pictures in partnership …
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“It is so inspiring to see the good work PEPFAR funding has done in South Africa since its inception, from saving the lives of many to empowering women about HIV/AIDS,” were the words of Senator Christopher Coons, after visiting Patricia Mabaso (40) from Soweto in February 2013. Patricia, a mother of three children, was diagnosed …
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Siyayinqoba Beat It!, a South African magazine show produced by the Community Health Media Trust (CMT) discusses hard-hitting topics about people living with HIV. Not content with using a mass media to reach out on a national level, CMT goes one step further: with funding from PEPFAR through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …
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June 22, 2012 Moments after it was lowered from its prominent position in Cape Town’s St. George’s Anglican Cathedral, Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu blessed a panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt and handed it over to U.S. Consul General Erica Barks-Ruggles June 22 for shipment to Washington, D.C. “Bless this quilt and the memory …
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Aurum finds that a 40c per day preventive treatment can reduce TB cases among miners by 63% Thibela TB, which means Prevent TB in seSotho, a predominant language among South African gold miners, is a large workplace-based study among gold miners in Gauteng, Free State and North West provinces. Gold miners have a very high …
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On a sweltering day in East London (affectionately known as Buffalo City by the locals), South African government and (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) partners gathered to celebrate eight years of dedicated public health support by Columbia University’s International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) in South Africa. The strong relationship …
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After 12 years of work in South Africa, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), one of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (PEPFAR) first implementation partners in South Africa, transitioned its successful program to two local organizations in February 2012. EGPAF will transition the program to two well-established South African organizations: Aurum Health …
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Five years ago, Ngwako Makgaba was down and, with a CD4 count of 105, almost literally out. In 2000, he was diagnosed HIV positive. Six years later, he was unemployed, living in the informal squatting type community of Diepsloot, at his mother’s shack. His brother had just died of AIDS. “I didn’t know where my …
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May 8, 2011 was a landmark day in South Africa as the Faculty of Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University celebrated the official graduation of the nation’s first group of Clinical Associates at its Mthatha Campus. Similar to Physician Assistants in the United States, Clinical Associates are university-trained medical professionals who will work primarily at …
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