Aid programs in Africa: Life-saving funds at risk!

Aid programs in Africa: Life-saving funds at risk!

In an alarming twist, several prominent pro-life activists have urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to release funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as soon as possible. This program, established in 2003, has provided critical support to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to children in Africa. Supporters argue that the Trump administration's policy decision to freeze foreign aid has already closed numerous clinics, endangering the lives of countless mothers and children. Critics such as the Catholic author Leah Libresco Sargeant are urging the US government to reactivate all PEPFAR funds in order to ensure the sustainability of this life-saving initiative, as the news portal “KAP” explained.

The discussion about the effects of the suspension of aid also reaches the African continent, where the health authority CDC Africa is warning of catastrophic setbacks in the fight against disease. Experts estimate that the loss of US aid could lead to two to four million additional deaths. The situation is particularly worrying in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, one of the largest of its kind in the world, where 350,000 people currently live. The director of a local education project, Abdullahi Mire, expressed grave concerns about already critical health care and the threat of worsening living conditions without U.S. financial support. A lack of funding could reportedly jeopardize many health achievements of recent years and even hit those living with HIV specifically in Africa the hardest, noted Christine Stegling, deputy director of UNAIDS.

Impact on jobs and programs

The consequences of freezing aid are devastating not only for health care, but also for the jobs, many of which are supported by USAID. In Kenya alone, experts expect around 35,000 job losses affecting medical staff and social workers. Michelle Munala, who looked after around 3,000 HIV-infected orphans, says worried: "The children are now at risk of becoming HIV positive" as important health projects have now been suspended. USAID's support in Africa, which has continued for over 60 years, faces an uncertain future, and many are wondering which organization can fill the emerging gaps, as the “Tagesschau” reported.