An alliance of SA civil society groups has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to personally intervene in the HIV funding crisis sparked by the US government’s decision to cut aid to the country.
The US government’s decision announcement recently has left many HIV and AIDS services in limbo.
This despite some organisations confirming that they have received waivers exempting them from the 90-day freeze on Presidential Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR) activities already under way.
However, the fate of all PEPFAR-supported South African programs beyond the 90-day exemption period remains uncertain.
Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) chairperson, Sibongile Tshabalala warned that the withdrawal of the US foreign aid was “nothing short of a death sentence”.
“Critical healthcare infrastructure is being dismantled, clinics forced to close, front line workers without support, all while lives hang in the balance. We are watching decades of progress on HIV being decimated,” Tshabalala said.
The civil society groups, including the Community Health and HIV Advocate Navigating Global Emergencies (CHANGE), are urging President Ramaphosa to use his position as the African Union (AU) Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) to lead a coordinated national and regional response to the crisis.
A statement penned collectively by the coalition states that action is “critical”, particularly in Ramaphosa’s role in the AU and the G20 Presidency.
“We call on President Ramaphosa to personally intervene before the situation worsens and to ensure a whole-of-government and civil society response,” the statement read.
The groups are also calling on the government to ensure that life-saving tools and medicines reach all who need them, particularly key populations such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people.
Sisonke, the National Sex Worker Movement of South Africa’s Kholi Buthelezi said the loss of US government funding had left sex workers without life-saving healthcare, HIV prevention, and critical support.
“Without these services, they face higher risks of violence, stigma, and disease—pushing them further into isolation and vulnerability.”
HIV clinician Dr. Francois Venter, who directs the Ezintsha Research Centre in Johannesburg, reportedly warned that the situation is critical.
“Health workers and people have no idea what is happening across the region. People are going to start dying soon. Can you imagine being dependent on treatment to save your life, and having it snatched away from you like this, with no alternative?”
The civil society groups are urging President Ramaphosa to take immediate action to address the crisis and ensure that HIV services are not disrupted. They are also calling on the government to explore alternative funding sources and to work with civil society organizations to find a solution to the crisis.
Efforts to reach presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on whether Ramaphosa was considering the call were unsuccessful.