The African-led HIV Control Working Group (AHCWG) has appealed to the United States Government to fully reinstate the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEFAR) funded programmes to continue providing life-saving support to persons living with HIV, globally.
It also called for clear communication on the future of funding the programme after the conclusion of the re-evaluation and realignment of foreign policy.
AHCWG, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said halting funding to such a successful public health programme, without notice, risked the lives of millions of people who depended on those resources to manage HIV infections or prevent new transmissions, particularly among high-risk populations.
This follows an Executive Order by the US Government to pause all foreign aid funding for 90 days, to allow for re-evaluation and realignment of foreign policy.
It said the decision overlooked the interconnectedness of the global community, where solidarity was essential to reduce the global disease burden.
“While we recognise the power and rights of governments to make decisions regarding their foreign policies, decisions that impact the health of millions of people around the world must be made in the context of a clearly defined plan that fully considers all the life-threatening implications,” it said.
The statement said the Executive Order had rather created confusion, panic, and uncertainty among the US Government funding agencies, country implementing partners, and most critically, the millions of people living with HIV (PLHIV) who depended on those funded health services to survive.
Although the most recent communication on the limited PEPFAR waiver provides more information, it had done little to quell the anxiety among stakeholders.
“”The waiver does not include pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for those at high risk of new HIV acquisition, such as adolescent girls, young women, men who have sex with men, sex workers, and other priority populations,” it said.
“”The impact of the Executive Order on PEPFAR-supported programs is like dropping a bombshell and had destroyed decades of trust and security among PLHIV and threatened fragile health systems built by PEPFAR that supported the response to COVID-19, Ebola, and recently the Mpox outbreak.”
“The 90-day limbo for the future of HIV care and treatment programs is intolerable, with long-lasting consequences.'”
The statement said while it unreservedly opposed the Executive Order and its cascading effects, including the ensuing stop-work orders, it also demonstrated the inherent risks of African countries’ over-reliance on donor support for HIV programmes.
It called on African governments to re-evaluate the sustainability of their HIV programmes and make bold decisions to sustain response.
AHCWG is a think tank of African HIV and policy experts, established to project an African voice on the efficiency and sustainability of the HIV response.
