‘SA hasn’t received letter from US regarding funding withdrawal’

File image: Health Minister, Minister, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi briefs media.

2 minutes

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says South Africa has not received any official letter from the United States (US) government regarding the move to temporarily cease its funding of HIV and Aids programmes around the world.

He was speaking to journalists at the Cabinet Lekgotla in Pretoria yesterday.

The Health Department receives 17% from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding, which has been running in SA and other developing countries since 2003.

Motsoaledi says PEPFAR programmes in the country will continue.

He says, “Up to so far we haven’t received any letter from the American government. This money whether from global fund or PEPFAR, it comes through (National) Treasury. Treasury has got no letter, Health (Department) has got no letter, DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation) has got no letter. Trying to contact the embassy of the US, we couldn’t get them. So how do we know that there is this funding withdrawal and all that, because NGOs and the clinic that are funded by this PEPFAR were the ones who received letters as you know, but this morning (Wednesday) we read again that the Secretary of State has withdrawn that for the time being because they say they are going to review for 90 days…we believe for now all programmes continue.”