South African NGOs worry Trump's aid freeze will cause HIV patients to default on treatment

In the rural villages of South Africa, U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden freeze on foreign aid impacts hundreds of thousands of HIV patients. The freeze has affected the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which annually contributes more than $400 million to South Africa’s various HIV programs and non-governmental organizations. That's about 17% of the total funding. NGOs worry about patients defaulting on treatment, infection rates going up and eventually a rise in deaths. Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift the funding freeze while the U.S. Embassy in South Africa said PEPFAR projects would resume under a limited waiver. But many aid groups have already shut down.