, Feb. 17 -- In a remote village in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, 19-year-old Nozuko Majola worries about affording the hour-long trip to collect her essential HIV medication, usually delivered to her inaccessible home via untarred roads.

Majola is among millions of South Africans impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump's freeze on foreign aid, sparking fears of widespread treatment interruptions, rising infection rates, and increased fatalities.

A 2024 report from the Human Sciences Research Council revealed KwaZulu-Natal had the country's second-highest HIV prevalence at 16%, with around 1,300 new infections weekly among young people. In 2022, the province recorded the highest number of HIV-positive individuals - approximatel...