US pulls plug on SA’s HIV/Aids programme

THE NGO sector in South Africa is reeling after organisations on Thursday received letters that all United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) grant funding to local HIV organisations had been terminated. 

HIV/AIDS activist organisation, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) said the terminations “mean death to poor people of the world”. 

“The NGO sector in South Africa woke to a letter from USAID terminating grants. It is so painful that these terminations mean death to poor people of the world. Key and vulnerable populations are the most affected.” 

This comes as South Africa had been grappling with the implications of a sudden 90-day suspension of PEPEFAR funding to organisations across the country, amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with South Africa and the US. 

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), through PEPFAR, has since 2003 supported several countries in a global HIV/AIDS response.

The government had noted that PEPFAR funding had been instrumental in addressing the needs of the 27 high-burden districts, as they tried to find solutions on how to address this gap in funding. 

Experts had warned that Trump’s aid withdrawal jeopardised the gains made in combating the disease as well as the US global role in the fight. 

The letters sent to NGO’s read that “continuing this program is not in the national interest”, warranting its immediate termination. 

“This award is being terminated for convenience and the interests of the U.S. Government pursuant to a directive from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his capacity as the Acting Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (“the Agency” or “USAID”) and/or Peter W. Marocco, who is performing the duties and functions of both Deputy Administrators for USAID. 

“Secretary Rubio and PTDO Deputy Administrator Marocco have determined your award is not aligned with Agency priorities and made a determination that continuing this program is not in the national interest. The decision to terminate this individual award is a policy determination vested in the Acting Administrator and the person performing the duties and functions of the Deputy Administrator. I have been delegated authority to issue this termination notice.

“Detailed instructions will follow, and a formal modification/amendment to memorialize this action is forthcoming. 

“Immediately cease all activities, terminate all subawards and contracts, and avoid incurring any additional obligations chargeable to the award beyond those unavoidable costs associated with this Termination Notice. Immediately provide similar instructions to all subrecipients and contractors,” the US government said in the letter.

In response to the news, TAC National Chairperson Sibongile Tshabalala said the Trump administration were “inadvertently committing genocide” that will be remembered for years to come.

“These terminations happen at a time when the whole world is bewildered by these outrageous decisions by the Trump administration. While the Trump administration is fighting for a land bill that has nothing to do with them and making noise about human rights violations, they are inadvertently committing genocide that will be remembered for years to come. It is time for the world to speak up and call the Trump administration out for these unfair decisions. 

“We need our government to step up at this moment in time, we need to hold their feet to the fire. The government must act swiftly and come up with a plan to save lives,” Tshabalala said. 

Meanwhile, the South Africa’s government has enlisted Deloitte & Touche to investigate the administration of USAID grants for HIV/AIDS programmes, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced on Monday.

“We are busy with this process; we have met many people and found the complexity of what is involved. We have hired Deloitte & Touche. They said it will take them about a month just to go into this thing. We have discovered that part of this money is not going to patients; again, it’s going to administration—huge amounts of money,” Motsoaledi said.

Cape Times