- Non-governmental organisations have written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Aaron Motsoaledi, Enoch Godongwana, and Ronald Lamola, demanding urgent intervention concerning the suspension of USAID funds.
- They assert that stopping these vital funds is causing chaos and uncertainty in the health sector.
- The organisations emphasise the importance of including all recipients who require essential life-saving medication and treatment.
Seven prominent NGOs have penned a critical letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and ministers Aaron Motsoaledi, Ronald Lamola, and Enoch Godongwana, urging an immediate and coordinated emergency healthcare services plan.
The NGOs involved – Health Justice Initiative, African Alliance, Cancer Alliance, Public Service Accountability Monitor at Rhodes University, SWEAT (represented by director Emily Craven), Section 27, and Treatment Action Campaign – reacted to US President Donald Trump’s executive order, which halts USAID funding to South Africa, among other countries.
Their letter is a response to the chaos and uncertainty which they say is affecting healthcare services in the country as a result.
The organisations emphasised the constitutional duty of the National Treasury and health departments to ensure transparency, accountability, and access to healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare, for all individuals in South Africa, irrespective of external ideological influences from the US government.
The NGOs assert that it’s the South African government’s responsibility to act in the best interest of children and ensure that no one is unfairly discriminated against when seeking healthcare support.
They stressed: “No one may be refused emergency medical treatment.”
They encouraged Ramaphosa to address this matter in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, affirming the government’s commitment to providing uninterrupted access to life-saving medication, testing, and care for all populations while ensuring non-discriminatory healthcare services.
They urged Motsoaledi to create an intergovernmental task team for a coordinated emergency healthcare services plan to address the immediate effects, ensuring sufficient budget allocation.
The organisations said the plan should include emergency healthcare services for all marginalised groups, such as LGBTIQ+ community, transgender individuals, sex workers, and men who have sex with men, particularly for HIV prevention.
The letter emphasises the need for an emergency communications plan and public guidance on available healthcare services.
The NGOs also call for accurate information collection, proactive public disclosures, and a reevaluation of existing policies and budgets to reduce future reliance on foreign assistance.
The NGOs suggest convening an urgent stakeholder meeting, involving departments, healthcare organisations, and facilities to explore other necessary interventions.
They highlighted that South Africa largely self-finances its HIV services and has been the largest recipient of President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) funding globally, contributing to about 17% of the national HIV budget and supporting 27 health districts.
They stated:
The NGOs express concern that without these resources, service delivery is and will continue to be impaired.
They cautioned that the funding shortfall could affect access to antiretroviral therapy for adults and children, HIV prevention programmes, and the livelihoods of healthcare providers.
They noted that beyond HIV services, South Africa also receives additional US assistance for academic institutions and various NGO programmes, now severely impacted by the executive order.
Healthcare plan
The NGOs insist that apart from crafting an urgent healthcare services plan, the department must also prepare for potential suspension or cancellation of US foreign assistance.
“We cannot wait to get our affairs in order. A storm is upon us. We must act now.
“The current situation has caused chaos and confusion as Pepfar-supported programmes remain paused, risking the health, lives, and livelihoods of thousands, especially those with HIV, TB, and cancer,” they warned.
