South Africa Urges US To Maintain Funding Fights Against AIDS In Africa

 

This was contained in a press statement made available to journalists in Johannesburg Wednesday morning by the Presidency.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe who on Tuesday concluded his participation at the 19th International Aids Conference in Washington said he was satisfied and hopeful that part of his mission making a case for a continued partnership framework on HIV and Aids with the United States has been achieved.

There have been concerns by South Africa and the developing world in general about the US Administration's proposed cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and how this could impact negatively on countries that are otherwise seeing national epidemics on the decline. 

PEPFAR, initiated by former US President George Bush, is America's initiative to combat the global HIV and Aids epidemic. Since 2004, PEPFAR has committed more than $30 billion to funding for the Aids epidemic and represents the largest financial commitment by a single country to responding to HIV and Aids worldwide. 

Through PEPFAR programmes, South Africa has managed to scale up its antiretroviral treatment, give HIV-positive individuals care and support, provide support to orphans and vulnerable children and offer services to pregnant women with known HIV status to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

"We have made the point that we think if the US were to pull back on its commitments to PEPFAR, it would set many of us back by many decades to come. 

"Of course, we now leave it to the American people and leadership to respond. But we are hopeful," Motlanthe who has already left the United States said.

Earlier, he had addressed a Congressional Global Aids Breakfast at the US Capitol complex attended by US Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen where he lauded PEPFAR as the largest and most successful bilateral HIV and Aids programme. 

He had also made the point that at this critical moment of opportunity - when for the first time it is clear that humanity is making a significant dent on the epidemic - it was not the time for America to pull back, the statement further said.

South Africa and the developing world can only hope the persuasion, moral case, oratory, charm and some old-fashioned flattery employed by speakers at the breakfast meeting have worked