Behind-the-scenes concerns are now public as the Director General of the National AIDS Secretariat (NAS), Abdul Rahman Sesay, has spoken out against an anticipated reduction in funding for HIV and AIDS programs, raising questions about the future of the country’s battle against the disease.
“The support we receive comes largely from the Global Fund and the Government of Sierra Leone,” Sesay stated. “The executive order by the US President has impacted the response program.”
HIV and AIDS prevalence in Sierra Leone is estimated at 1.7%, with approximately 77,000 individuals aged 15-49 living with the disease. The NAS has been providing free testing and treatment services to those affected.
“When the executive order was implemented, the NAS had clients who were scheduled to receive services, but we could not provide them. Services in certain areas were suspended because some facilities were funded by the US government. When the order came, we had to stop immediately,” Sesay disclosed.
In an exclusive interview, Sesay revealed that partners received official communications instructing them to halt specific activities, leading to a temporary cessation of operations. However, he said that some interventions have recently been granted waivers. He confirmed that some of the services they provide to sex workers and pregnant women were ongoing at the time of the interview.
Sesay also indicated that plans are being developed to create a strategy that will ensure the continued provision of HIV services. “The directive to cease using funds from the Global Fund, from which the PrEP drug is procured, was a shock to the response program,” he said. However, Sesay added that waivers have begun for PrEP, meaning the drug remains available for pregnant women and sex workers, but could not tell the quantity and how long it will last.
“The NAS and the Government of Sierra Leone are working on a sustainability roadmap for the HIV response program,” Sesay noted. “If we had such a roadmap in place, this shock would not have occurred.”
The NAS is the governmental body responsible for coordinating and implementing Sierra Leone’s national response to HIV and AIDS. Its primary functions include: Policy Development and Coordination, Resource Mobilization, Advocacy and Communication.
Upon taking office, US President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders, including a directive to halt US government support for organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a major funder of development programs, particularly in the health sector.
