PEPFAR freeze could be death sentence
By Daimone Siulapwa
THE specter of HIV/AIDS has haunted Zambia for decades, leaving devastation in its wake.
Just when the nation began to see a glimmer of hope, with access to life-saving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs provided by the United States (US)-funded President’s Emergence Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme, dark clouds have been forming on the horizon.
The election of Donald Trump, and his Republican stance to cut off aid under the guise of “America First,” threatens to undo all the progress made over the years.
Let’s call this what it is: a death sentence for Africa and, in particular, Zambia.
For years, whispers and speculation have suggested that HIV was a tool created in Western laboratories – designed to control population growth in developing nations while enriching the pharmaceutical industry.
Whether this is true or not, what is undeniable is that the pharmaceutical giants of the West have profited massively from ARV drugs.
Billions of dollars have been siphoned from suffering nations, with the US positioning itself as a saviour through programmes like PEPFAR while keeping the reins of dependency firmly in their grip. Without ARV drugs, Zambia stands on the precipice of disaster. HIV/AIDS will no longer be a manageable condition; it will revert to being a death sentence.
Private pharmacies will now hoard these drugs, and with skyrocketing prices, only the wealthy elite will have access if the drastic policy shift is not reversed or rescinded.
The poor majority – who make up the backbone of Zambia – will be left to die slow, painful deaths.
Non-adherence will skyrocket as those who had been faithfully taking their medication are suddenly forced to choose between feeding their families and buying medicine.
Many will choose survival today over survival tomorrow, leading to a cascade of full-blown AIDS cases. Infections will rise exponentially, as desperation and ignorance among the younger generation lead to reckless behavior. Stigma, which had begun to fade as treatment became widespread and accessible, will return with a vengeance. People will begin hiding their status for fear of ostracisation.
Funerals will become a daily occurrence. Entire families could be wiped out. Zambia will be thrown back into the 1980s, where AIDS was a silent plague that destroyed generations and left an army of orphans in its wake.
How did we get here? For decades, our leaders have relied on foreign aid to sustain critical health programs. While PEPFAR was a Godsend, it also lulled our government into a false sense of security. We became comfortable, complacent and overly dependent.
What happened to the vision of creating a government-controlled pharmaceutical industry? Why did we fail to anticipate this crisis 20 years ago? The writing was on the wall. Western aid is never without strings attached, and Zambia’s reliance on it has left us vulnerable to the whims of foreign politics. Now, Trump’s America is poised to show us just how fragile that reliance is.
This is not the time for passive diplomacy or vague promises. Zambia’s government must treat this as the national emergency it is. Immediate investment in local pharmaceutical production is critical. The government must establish a state-owned pharmaceutical manufacturing company to ensure the production of ARVs and reduce the costs of other essential medications.
Zambia must also pivot towards partnerships with nations that prioritise mutual benefit over exploitation.
Countries like India and China have robust pharmaceutical industries and could offer ARVs at a fraction of the cost of Western companies. A national emergency fund for HIV/AIDS must be established immediately, financed through increased taxes on luxury goods, multinational corporations, and high-net-worth individuals operating in Zambia.
We need comprehensive public health campaigns to educate our youth about the realities of HIV/AIDS. The complacency born from a lack of first-hand experience must be countered with aggressive awareness campaigns. Zambia, alongside other African nations, must confront the US at every international platform. If Trump’s America wants to cut off life-saving aid, the world must know the human cost of such decisions.
In the next two to five years, we will witness a dystopian Zambia if no action is taken. Entire neighborhoods will become ghost towns. Schools will lose both students and teachers. Hospitals will be overwhelmed with dying patients, while mortuaries will overflow with unclaimed bodies.
The socio-economic fabric of our nation will unravel as productivity collapses, and the cycle of poverty tightens its grip.
This is not hyperbole; it is reality staring us in the face as a nation. The PEPFAR cuts are a wake-up call, and how we respond will define Zambia’s future.
Zambia must refuse to be a victim of Western whims. We have the knowledge, resources, and resilience to rise above this crisis, but only if we act decisively and radically.
This is not just a political issue; it is a matter of life and death. President Hakainde Hichilema and his government must treat this as the national emergency it is. Anything less will be remembered as a betrayal of the Zambian people.
It is time for Zambia to stand tall, reject dependency and forge its own path to health sovereignty. Lives depend on it.
Daimone Siulapwa is a political analyst and a strong advocate for tribal unity and citizen economic empowerment. He serves as the current chairman of the SMEs Association of Zambia (SMEAZ).
For comments and suggestions, please email: dsiulapwa@gmail.com.
