Dear Editor
The failure of the proposed budget to plan and compensate for the funding shortfall created by the cancellation of PEPFAR disbursements is a damning indictment of the Health Departments’ lack of capacity to deal with crises and the abdication of its most fundamental responsibility: protecting the lives, health and wellbeing of South Africa’s people.
The failure of the department to step into the breach for patients affected by the PEPFAR funding cuts will lead to more infections, deaths and job losses – unless additional funding of up to R4 billion is allocated to cover gaps in supportive and preventative care. The DA is committed to ameliorating this crisis by reallocating money from the broken and inefficient parts of government while remaining steadfast in our position on no further tax increases.
A lack of urgency to deal with the PEPFAR funding shortfall will be deadly. A recent article by UCT academics, published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, states that if the government doesn’t effectively transition away from PEPFAR, it will “lead to an estimated 601 000 HIV-related deaths and 565 000 new infections in the next 10 years”.
As the DA’s recent submission to Parliament points out, the government continues to allocate billions to programs that are inefficient, unnecessary or conduits for looting.
The DA calls for immediate and comprehensive action from Parliament through its budget process to save lives and jobs by:
1. Implementing the significant expenditure savings highlighted by the DA and other groups
2. Using a part of these savings to allocate at least R4 billion to cover gaps in supportive and preventative care left by the PEPFAR funding cancellation.
Simply by reducing government catering budgets and withdrawing funding for the disastrous DRC mission, we could address the significant future harms of the PEPFAR funding withdrawal and ensure that services to vulnerable HIV positive patients are maintained and strengthened.
The DA stands resolute: We will hold this government accountable for how it misspends its money. We will fight for every South Africans’ right to healthcare and reasonable taxation, and we will not rest until justice and proper governance are restored.
Regards
Wendy Alexander MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Finance
earl of arms
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