—Leaving recipients and advocates of HIV services frustrated
‘Mathatisi Sebusi
THE government’s silence on its plans to address funding gaps created by US President Donald Trump’s suspension of USAID funding has left the public distressed.
This follows Minister of Finance and Development, Rets’elisitsoe Matlanyane’s failure to address the issue in her 2025/2026 budget speech.
Her silence has raised concerns about the impact of the suspension on critical services for recipients of a variety of HIV/AIDS services.
Around 240,000 Basotho who rely on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and HIV/TB response services, primarily funded by the U.S. government, now face uncertainty.
The public had hoped that Dr Matlanyane would offer reassurance and outline how the government would ensure continuity of these services in the absence of USAID funding.
Not only has government failed to give Basotho that reassurance. It has also cut down the Ministry of Health’s annual budget from M3.4 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal period, to M3.1 billion in the 2025-2026 financial year.
In compliance with US President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order, USAID funding for African countries including Lesotho, was suspended.
The 90-day aid freeze has created a frenzy for seemingly unprepared African governments inclusive of Lesotho.
As a result, HIV and TB services funded by the US have been halted, a situation that could lead to the potential loss of between 1500 – 3500 jobs if the aid cessation becomes permanent.
While Minister of Health Selibe Mochoboroane, previously explained that the government had always procured 82% of ARVs, with the remaining 18% funded by the Global Fund, critical services such as viral load testing, counselling, HIV and TB advocacy, and contact tracing, have historically been funded by the U.S. government under USAID.
These are the very services that Dr Matlanyane should have explained how the government planned to maintain.
Parliament’s Social Cluster Portfolio Committee and the main opposition Democratic Congress (DC), have expressed disappointment that the budget did not address the implications of President Trump’s aid freeze, especially given the clear impact of the 90-day pause on many Basotho.
They emphasized that issues such as viral load testing, TB, maternal health, contact tracing, and counselling needed urgent attention, and the government should outline its plans to address the aid withdrawal.
The government’s silence on this matter has also left civil society organizations, such as the Lesotho Network of AIDS Services Organizations (LENASO), concerned and uncertain about the future of these vital services.
They have called for the government to communicate its plans to ensure the continuation of these critical programs.
The Social Cluster Portfolio Committee chairperson, Mokhothu Makhalanyane, on Friday expressed disappointment that Dr Matlanyane’s budget did not address the implications of President Trump’s executive orders, especially given the clear impact of the 90-day pause on many Basotho.
“We estimate that between 1,500 to 3,500 people have lost their jobs due to the suspension of USAID. Additionally, HIV/TB services, particularly community-based ones, are expected to be affected. I had expected the Minister of Finance and Development Planning to outline how the government plans to adjust and fill the gaps left by the withdrawal of aid, should it become permanent,” Mr Makhalanyane said.
He emphasized to the Sunday Express that issues such as viral load testing, TB, maternal health, contact tracing, and counselling needed urgent attention.
He added that since the government had not provided any updates on how it planned to address the aid withdrawal, members of the Social Cluster Committee would take it upon themselves to ensure those services were catered for in the budget.
“It would have been responsible for the government to assure Basotho and outline its plans regarding President Trump’s executive orders freezing aid. Since they have remained silent, the Social Cluster Committee will work hard to ensure that affected services are catered for within the budget,” Mr Makhalanyane added.
However, Mr Makhalanyane did not disclose how his committee planned to ‘coerce’ government to continue providing USAID funded services.
Mr Makhalanyane further reiterated that, “issues such as viral load testing, TB, maternal health, contact tracing, and counselling need urgent attention, and the government should outline its plans to address the aid withdrawal”.
In a brief interview with the Sunday Express on Friday, Official Leader of Opposition and DC leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, accused the government of acting irresponsibly. He said the government should have pronounced itself on the US aid suspension in the 2025-2026 budget estimates.
“The government is acting irresponsibly in this matter. I say this because they should have stated its impact in the budget and how they will close that funding gap going forward,” Mr Mokhothu said.
The former ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader, Nkaku Kabi, also scoffed at Dr Matlanyane’s budget for allocating just M3.1 billion for the health sector and “failing to address the aid freeze and outline government’s strategy to mitigate the potentially lethal impacts of its withdrawal”.
“We noted with shock that not only has the government allocated the health sector a lesser budget this year but has also failed to provide a strategy to address the impact of aid suspension, and how it intends to close the gaps should the withdrawal be permanent,” Mr Kabi said.
LENASO Executive Director, Mamello Makoae, also expressed concern over the government’s lack of response.
Ms Makoae said while the government had engaged civil society organizations and assured them that they were working on a solution, she had hoped the situation would be addressed in the budget or that their fears would at least be alleviated somewhat.
“We were expecting something to be said regarding this matter. It is a big issue, and now that the government is silent, we are slowly losing hope and don’t know what to expect. It would have been better if they had said something. All we want is for them to communicate their plans so that we know what to anticipate,” Makoae said.
Efforts to solicit a comment on the government’s silence from Minister Mochoboroane, were futile. His mobile line went unanswered when this reporter contacted him.
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