By Jenifer James
The National Empowerment of Positive Women United (NEPWU), a non-profit organization working to empower people living with HIV in South Sudan, reveals that around 70,000 people have been directly affected by Donald Trump’s 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign aid.
In a press conference to the media on Monday, the executive director of the National Empowerment of Positive Women United, Evelyn Letio, raised alarm over the recent 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign aid under the Trump administration, which she says threatens the health and well-being of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in South Sudan.
‘’This funding freeze affects critical programs supported by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, and USAID, which has been instrumental in providing services across all the country.’’
Although the treatment in South Sudan comes from Global Funds through UNDP, the greater contribution to Global Fund comes from PEPFAR. UNDP supports treatment that includes the ARVs, TB treatment, and malaria treatment all over South Sudan.
“In our country, with an estimate of nearly 200,000 individuals living with HIV, we rely heavily on international assistance to manage and curb the epidemic. PEPFAR’s contributions have been pivotal in ensuring access to treatment, prevention, and care services. The abrupt halt in funding jeopardizes these essential services, threatens to reverse years of progress made in the fight against the HIV epidemic, and potentially leads to the disruption of access to life-saving medications, leading to potential health crises for those dependent on continuous treatment. Inconsistent use of ARVs can result in drug resistance and therefore increase new HIV infections.” Evelyn said.
Since the suspension began, over 1,500 people living with HIV have missed appointments and are at risk of treatment interruption.