South Africa: Catastrophic consequences of the US government funding cuts

Bhekisisa: Embassy confirms PEPFAR projects will restart — despite Trump’s aid ban

• On Monday night, the US Embassy in Tshwane issued a press release, confirming Bhekisisa’s earlier story, published on Monday, that projects funded via the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, PEPFAR, are exempted from President Donald Trump’s executive order that bans foreign aid to South Africa.
• The order halts all foreign aid that the United States government provides to South Africa.
• Such programmes therefore still qualify for a limited waiver, which will expire towards the end of April, but only for approved activities.

Health Policy Watch: South African civil society urges President Ramaphosa to ‘step up’ to address HIV funding crisis

A coalition of South African civil society groups have urged South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to “step up” and lead a coordinated national and regional response to prevent “mass healthcare disruptions, preventable deaths, and surges in new HIV infections and drug resistance,” in the wake of the US President Donald Trump’s cut off of aid to the country.

Spotlight: South Africa health research facing catastrophic financing cuts

Cuts to United States funding of health research could have “catastrophic” consequences, says Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, who is at the helm of the country’s primary health research funder. He says the South African Medical Research Council is “heavily exposed” to the cuts, with around 28% of its budget coming from US federal agencies.

GroundUp: Over 15,000 South African health workers’ jobs are at risk as US cuts aid

• A coalition of health service organisations has warned that patients will lose access to life-saving treatment if the US withdraws health funding to South Africa.
• 15,000 health workers’ jobs risk being lost.
• Certain HIV and TB related health services are continuing for now under a limited waiver.
• But the waiver has failed to cover organisations that provide services, including HIV care, specifically to LGBTI people and people who inject drugs.
• Two PEPFAR-funded harm reduction centres have already closed their doors, as have health service organisations that support LGBTI people.