Beijing backs local medicine manufacturing, with senior UN official voicing gratitude for ‘strong commitment to multilateralism’
4-MIN READ4-MINJevans NyabiagePublished: 12:00pm, 7 Aug 2026China 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.
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.
