This past week, USA President Donald Trump left the world dumbfounded after ordering an indefinite halt of the dispersal of HIV/AIDS medications for a whopping 90 days. This has sent a shockwave across global humanitarian and health communities, leaving many concerned about the devastating impact on impoverished nations that are exceedingly reliant on foreign aid. This executive order to suspend all foreign development assistance was worsened after the Trump administration instructed organisations in other countries to stop the distribution of HIV medications purchased with USAID, even if the drugs had already been obtained and sitting in local clinics.
In South Africa, health providers across the nation were left bewildered, wondering when – or if – the funding from the halted US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) would be resumed. PEPFAR is responsible for critical HIV treatments, prevention, and research programmes in over fifty countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. In SA, particularly, PEPFAR is the largest foreign donor to the nation’s HIV/Aids programmes, alongside the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the largest funder of HIV/Aids research across the nation.
Ultimately, this order left a catastrophe for the healthcare of countless citizens. NGO’s and organisations across the nation, many of which are solely dependent on PEPFAR, were left frazzled, looking expectantly to the Department of Health for emergency funding and contingency strategies.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, President Trump had elaborated on his ban, stating that: “We get tired of giving massive amounts of money to countries that hate us, don’t we?” This was not only a juvenile display of power, but a dire reminder of his ignorance to the value and health of millions of people outside of the USA. This, however, is true to form for the second-time US leader, who had already moved to stop PEPFAR funding in countless low-income nations.
In South Africa, following this widespread executive order, clinics, medical centres, and HIV/AIDS organisations across the nation were forced to immediately stop working, cease all of their services, and begin compiling a tremendous patient backlog for the innumerable people who would be without life-saving medication for the indefinite future.
Foreign aid programmes such as PEPFAR is essential in addressing the rampant scourge of HIV/AIDS, providing life-saving medications, essential supplies, and critical information. In fact, they are integral to the funding of an array of non-governmental organisations across various sectors, including HIV/AIDS, LGBTQIA+ support and climate change, to name a few. This order by Trump means that operations have been halted across all of these industries. This is a slap in the face for the progress and development made by countless industries, not only for the enrichment of our societies and the physical welfare of the earth, but especially for the benefit of millions of human beings across the world who are dependent on these bodies for their survival.
In nations such as ours, this ban is immediately and extensively felt across society. This especially places a substantial burden on our already-strained healthcare system. This widespread shortage of treatments, not only for fatal illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, but also for prevalent diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Trump’s decision not only leaves us with an unnerving realisation of our dependency on foreign aid for our societies’ survival but also raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of global health efforts. Over-reliance on foreign aid, especially for life-saving medications, leaves nations vulnerable to sudden policy changes like this one. Our dependency on other nations for our basic needs will leave us in a worsened position, should a ban such as this occur again.
What this order has shown us is that it is high time we stop placing all of our eggs in one basket. It is critical, not only now but for our future, that we develop bodies and strategies to combat diseases and improve the quality of life of our citizens. It is also critical that we diversify our suppliers in healthcare, and all industries for that matter. India and China, for example, are not only our partners in BRICS, but are also the nations that produce the most medicine. In fact, India accounts for approximately 48% of the world’s pharmaceutical manufacturing, and China, 13% of the world’s pharmaceutical manufacturing. The United States only produces 10% of this, yet Trump is so quick to threaten millions of lives over ‘a public display of adoration’? Truly, “the line between confidence and arrogance is very fine, and the line between arrogance and stupidity is even finer.”
It is pertinent, now more than ever, that Africa moves away from its dependence on the west, and that we place emphasis on our own independence and self-reliance. We need to be intentional in the development of our own public health bodies and underscore the need to fund these bodies adequately. We need to prioritise alternative solutions to our societal issues, lean on the expertise and skills of allies of our nations, and driving collaboration that will result in our own independence and empowerment.
Although BusinessLIVE has recently reported that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, issued a waiver that partially lifted Trump’s freeze on foreign aid, the impact of this power-move will be felt far into the future. This executive order has truly highlighted the world’s dependency on the USA, and it has backfired devastatingly. In actuality, Trump has played games with millions of lives, and this move will be etched into his absurdly infamous history. More than anything, this needs to be a wake-up call for the countless leaders of the world. This has truly emphasised the value of sovereignty, and the need for self-sufficiency in all industries of a nation’s economy. A prominent public servant once eloquently said, “part of protecting our homeland, is being less dependent on foreign countries.” Dependence has truly been our downfall. As such, let collaboration, empowerment, and development, be our driving force into the future.
