The South Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission (SSAC) has decried low funding adding that there is need for government to double efforts in ensuring the realization of its strategic plans.
Addressing Journalists on Tuesday, Dr Esterina Novello, the chairperson of South Sudan Aid Commission urged the government to fund their strategic plans
“We have strategic plan for four years and that requires 300,000,000 United State Dollars to implement, these can be broken down” Novello said.
She appreciated the government and the partners for the support adding that the cases of the HIVAIDS continue to increase in the country due to lack of awareness hence there is need for more support.
Coupled with aid Cut by United States, the commission expressed concern on the need for all stakeholders to support the strategic plans.
Recently US government issued waiver and directed the Implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs to resume work.
However, till now the impact of aids cut remain a problem across several institutions of which HIVAids commission.
On his part, Peter Garang, the Executive Director of the Network of AIDS Service Organizations of South Sudan (NASOSS) expressed that the future is unpredictable and urged the government to fund the programs.
“The future of HIV respond is unpredictable, starting even this year, we may see an increase in HIV new infects” he said.
“We shall even see more people dying because since this dilemma came in where to reports of people losing lives” he added.
He expressed that the recent cut on aids remain a lesson that will awake government to provide support the HIV/Aids program.
“The few we know in March we had two clients dying of AIDS which is not support to happened, So the future is unpredictable until we act as the government” he said
He revealed that many people continue to lack necessary information about the HIV/Aids.
“I know the problem is up to this time there are people who believe that HIV does not exist. There are people who will tell you that there is no HIV if you go to this club in Juba you move around there are people who do not believe that HIV is there” he said
Garang expressed that beside donation by partners still there is a huge gap that need government supports.
“We still have a wider gap because the government is not putting in a single money in HIV interventions, we are at the Mercy of Donors i am glad that we are hearing from the leaders that it is now their commitment” he said
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending US foreign development assistance for 90 days to evaluate programmatic efficiencies and consistency with US foreign policy.
During this review period, the secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered contracting grant officers to issue stop-work orders (SWOs) for all foreign aid programs.
South Sudan, with nearly 200,000 people living with HIV, relies on foreign funding to sustain its essential HIV care and prevention programs due to limited budgetary support.
In respond to the cut Evelyn Letio Unzi, program coordinator for the National Empowerment for Positive Women United (NEPWU), explained that the funding suspension has impacted vital contributions from PEPFAR and USAID.
“Every year, NEPWU receives approximately $1 million from PEPFAR for community activities. This funding supports outreach programs, awareness campaigns, and various community initiatives, not direct treatment but vital services that keep HIV prevention and care alive in South Sudan,” Letio said on Monday.
The immediate effects of the aid freeze are already being felt.
“Since the Stop Work Order was imposed, 1,500 people living with HIV have missed crucial appointments, including their ARV doses. These disruptions in treatment can lead to drug resistance, a rise in new HIV transmissions, and a potential health crisis,” Letio remarked.
The country’s prevention programs, which include condom distribution, awareness campaigns, and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), are also at risk due to the funding freeze.
