Letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa: Send a message to world leaders to commit financially to fighting Aids
Dear Honourable President Ramaphosa,
Greetings. Thank you for your tireless efforts to try to eradicate corruption and State Capture. We hope that these efforts will soon translate into a strong commitment to improve the quality of life of millions of our people, including their access to life-saving medicines and quality health.
As you know, we are rapidly approaching World AIDS Day on 1 December 2018. World AIDS Day this year is particularly significant given that it will take place as you meet with global leaders at the G20 in Argentina, and at the beginning of the sixth replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — hosted by the government of France.
World AIDS Day 2018 should remind us all that the global AIDS crisis is far from over. In 2017, 1.8 million people acquired HIV while prevention tools remain out of reach, and violence, marginalisation and criminalisation of women, girls and key populations continue to put people at high risk of HIV infection.
Today 40% of people living with HIV still cannot access lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. Millions more people face ongoing adherence challenges and mortality — be it from treatment fatigue with limited opportunity for effective counselling or support and poor access to mental health services. We also face a vast and deadly TB co-epidemic, limited HIV service provision due to health worker shortages and numerous other health system challenges. The reality is that the barriers ahead of us must be confronted.
During the early days of the global AIDS response we fought for the idea that governments around the world have a responsibility to do whatever they need to do to get HIV treatment to the people who need it. While governments now acknowledge their role, we are a long way from the true victory that will come when treatment and prevention are available for all, and our health systems deliver the life-saving services people require. We cannot sit back and relax while people on the ground are dying.
Today almost everyone agrees that we need to provide prevention, treatment and care to all who need it. The global adoption of the “90-90-90” Fast Track targets are testimony to that consensus. We have reached a point in the AIDS response where the question is not so much what to do, but to ensure that quality evidence-based programmes — grounded in the communities of people affected — are actually implemented.
In this context we are alarmed that funding for these HIV programmes from donor governments has declined in recent years. In almost every low and middle-income country, gaps in funding are undermining the HIV response and treatment, prevention and care services are being rationed. Last year a study by Kaiser Family Foundation & UNAIDS found that donor government funding for the global HIV response had declined by 7% in 2016 and was at its lowest level since 2010.
This should be a stark wake-up call for you as President of one of the worst-affected countries in the world. It should be a wake-up call for anyone who cares about saving lives and ending the global HIV epidemic. Just as we’re on the precipice of success and have finally reached 60% of people living with HIV on treatment, we get another reminder that politics is enabling or disabling the AIDS pandemic.
Countries across the world have agreed to a global strategy. But we need the money to see it through. We need an ambitious acceleration of financing for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and to ensure that there is at least $18 billion pledged in 2019.
That is why we are asking you personally to make a statement on World AIDS day that includes a strong call on the leaders at the 2018 G20 meeting to ensure the funding increases and the international solidarity needed to deliver quality treatment and prevention services around the world.
We trust you will do this. Millions of lives depend on it.
This is a shortened version of the letter. Anele Yawa is general secretary of the Treatment Action Campaign and Mark Heywood is executive director of SECTION27.
11 Responses to “Letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa: Send a message to world leaders to commit financially to fighting Aids”
Gabriel Novolo
I am an apartheid victim identified by the truth and reconciliation commission. I have been trying to get an information on assistance for abdication without any success since the beginning of this year 2018.My correspondences are the at the President’s office. The email address provided to me looks like it’s not working and I really need that assistance for me and my family. The worse part our justice department does not have an email address. That I am late for application for education assistance cannot be my fault but that of the government.
Pumeza Vena
Good day Mr President
My name is Pumeza Philasande Vena. I am in Cape Town and we started a business in Wesbank and we would like to know if you can help us. We are four women based in Cape Town and we have tried to get tenders or even funding for our company without success. Our company is registered since 2014 and we never had any luck in getting tenders or funding. Can you please help us so that we can help our poor community?
Thabo mbemi
Dear Mr president. I am 37yrs old un employed woman gualify as an auxiliary nurse in 2014.on behalf of auxiliary nurses we need help cause every time when there is post in department of health is either enrolled nurse’s nd professionals,or experience so what about us auxiliary nurses our careers r going down to the drain pls help us we r getting old and we used our last money.from Tzaneen Limpopo.
Sipho Mosupye
Greetings, my name is Sipho Mosupye from Gauteng, specifically residing around vaal. Anyhow, to get straight to the point, I work for a nonprofit organization called West movement sessions; within the organization we specialize in organizing extra murral activities for school kids. I have a couple of programs that I want to share with you. But the most important program that I want to introduce is on a study called Transactional analysis. I believe that this program will help and maximize efficiency in the workplaces and in the schools. The teachers through an understanding of this program they will be able to communicate effectively with the learners and be able to discipline them accordingly without any physical altercation. What this program does is to harmonize and balance the personality of individuals and to enhance the general understanding of people. Teachers and pupils can use transactional analysis as a tool to protect themselves at home and at school. I would love an opportunity to come and present transactional analysis in person at your office spaces and if you find it worthy; we can somewhat popularize throughout the whole country. I heard about the incident that happened at a school in Lenz and I believe with Transactional analysis we can try to heal back the school into its proper form. Been emailing the MEC for the past month now with no response. Hopefully, with your help office of the president we can make schools a safer , efficient environment for learning. Please do invite me over so that I can teach you Transactional analysis it takes about 40min.
079 286 2894 call me.
Best regards Sipho
busisiwe
Greeting Mr President
I write this email as a concerned citizen .We suffering a lot this previously months since from 17 June 2019 till today we dont have electricity and i now that its all over but what is not write is Eskom is promising to come and they dont come . what must we do now because this electricity is affecting only the soweto people . We vote for your guys even though we now that we don”t pay but we came with the decision to start to pay even tell them that we will donate R200 for them to go and buy the box cause our box blust . the question is do we have to buy the box?and do we have to beg them to come and help us as if its not our country , my location is at Dlamini 1
regards Busi
Marknewtonrae
I am very sad that I so much want to visit my friend in cape town i sat 3 weeks i. State of tears this covid is really cribbing us from visit our friends why don’t they end this crule thing why did they let it people in south africa was sick with this covid March 26 we did get rid of it people or not take mr rampasphsa .
Has done all that he could i love me rampsa i stand by him as a reborn christian u can see he loves his nation look how very blessed this could of been different he loves the Lord he reads his bible he wants us to listen to obey instructions why can’t south africans just think if we want the best then help me rampasphsa it’s not easy running this place it’s like seen bunch of small children who disobey there parents look the bible date that rebellion is which craft .an disobey mr rampasphsa means we not willing to stop drinking
An boozing .smoking tik dagga gangsters .won’t stop they carry on with there crime we must end every sort of froud . gangsters have no respect not even for a human soul they disregard ur laws why do u think when u are born again love the Lordl church must stay why God will heal the land if we stop our wicked deeds live for the Lord those who dis regard life must be felt with men hitting woman children be rape women been rape left for dead these are not men but coward gangsters must be brought low .they must end . The way the gangsters think they can take over they won’t get a chance why we are Godly nation stand tall bring back our law of discipline children in school gangsters in schools they walk in schools bring drugs fire arms when we had prayers in schools our school system was in a better state prayers builds cummunty it give us hope an not covid virus if we stop our evil living we must stop this evil we must help mr rampasphsa heal our land do better to morow …….wwe must kill the covid virus ..
Chris J Lotter
Dear President,
You are promising all South Africans that you would see that each and every Government official will be accountable and be dealt with because of corruption…please show to the nation…only one corrupt ANC Official from your elected Government by the people…for the people.. being found guilty by a court of law and sentenced to jail..issued with an ORANGE OVERALL….for corruption and we would believe you…as SHABIR SHEIK is still playing golf….????
Hendrik Jacobus Fourie
Dear Honorable President,
Sir I got deep stress, I do not have food in my house, The problem is with the UIF I went like all the other guys, signed for my money That was for March 2021. I did not get an cent Nothing was delivered. I thought maybe there was
a problem I went again to to sign but again there was nothing I sent them an email asking what ‘s wrong again I’m without food and cannot pay my
House I’m without food for 3 weeks now . I sent them numorous letters by email still no performance, tell me the truth the people says they are bankrupt. Please mr. President Help me.
Sinakho Ralph
Greeting all: I am here today to say that Cyril Ramaphosa is doing a very bad job of keeping this country in check. He say’s that he cares for his country but that is not true if he cared he would send more of his army to Durban to help with all the looting of shops and companys. And now people are shooting and breaking in to people’s house. last year we had 480,000 soldiers, where is the rest of the army? I can tell you one thing the rest of the army is protecting Ramaphosa. I do not beleave that he care’s about the country and it’s people if he did he would do something about all the looting the is happening in South Africa. And when he say’s God help us all thats not right because God helps people who help themselves.
Kind Reguards
Sinakho ralph send this from my home in KZN Winterton R600
Sinakho Ralph
PS: To some of you you might disagree with me but me and my family say that people are mad and hungary. i mean some people are taking baby food and cloths and things for babys because they can’t get what they need because the don’t have money to get it. My Mom and i take food to the people in need in Loskop KZN because we are all human, you might be rich or poor or between rich and poor. But you can’t go and say to people that you are perfect, because NO PERSON ON THIS EARTH IS PERFECT WE ALL HAVE PROBLAMES. So before you say to yourself i am so perfect think “No, Nobody is perfect we are all just human.
Brian Moses
We cannot let our children suffer the same 30years on waiting list for rdp Housing like I am going through from 1993 to 2024