Minister: Don't STOP taking your ARVs!

HEALTH Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi pleads with Mzansi people living with HIV/Aids not to stop taking their ARVs.

This after reports suggested that the United States of America (USA) is planning to stop its funding to the USAID, which assists in funding the treatment of HIV/Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis (TB) across the globe.

Motsoaledi said the fund allocates 17% to Mzansi towards health workers committed to ensuring people receive treatment.

"We have an army of 271 000 people in the 27 districts who are fighting HIV/Aids, and 256 452 are funded by us South Africans from our fiscus. That leaves us with 15 145, those are the ones who will be affected by whatever withdrawal from the USAID," he said.

The minister was speaking at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Tshwane on Wednesday, 29 January, where currently, President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile and other leadership structures in government are hosting a Cabinet Lekgotla.

Motsoaledi said as far as the ARVs are concerned, the people should not panic as they're provided by the country and the global fund with 10%.

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He said their biggest problem will be the salaries and the operational cost, a portion of which is funded by the President's Emergency Plans for Aids Relief (Pepfar).

Motsoaledi said that the Department of Treasury has asked his department to prepare documents outlining how they plan to address the shortfall.

He further said that they haven't received any formal letter which states that the Pepfar has been stopped.

"The Treasury has no letter. Health has no letter; the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has no letter. We tried to contact the US Embassy, but we didn't go through. So how do we know that there is this funding withdrawal and all that."

The minister said the only disaster that could come out of this is if people stop taking their treatment, adding that even if it's just one person, it would set them back in their fight against the virus.

"As the South African government, one thing that we want to make sure is that nobody should stop taking their ARVs because that will be devastating and completely dangerous," he said.