A healthcare clinic in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, that serves the transgender community is among several facilities affected by the United States’ decision to suspend funding for certain international programs.
The Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute’s transgender health programme, previously supported by USAID, has been forced to shut down some of its services, effective Tuesday, January 28, 2025. This follows a “stop order communication” issued for specific USAID-funded initiatives, as confirmed by Wits University’s Professor Shabir Madhi.
Madhi stated that the directive required an immediate halt to all programme activities, leaving both patients and staff in a state of uncertainty.
A transgender woman who visited the Hillbrow clinic on Tuesday afternoon recounted receiving an SMS instructing her to collect her hormone prescription before 4 p.m., as the clinic would no longer be able to provide services. While she was able to obtain her prescription at a private facility, she highlighted the financial strain of having to cover the costs herself.
The message sent to patients read in part: “Our donor, USAID, has served the Wits RHI key population programme a notice to pause programme implementation. As of close of business tomorrow [Tuesday] 28 January, we are unable to provide services until further notice.”
A clinic employee disclosed that approximately 1,800 patients and 24 staff members have been affected by the closure. Healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and data capturers, are now uncertain about their job security and future salaries.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee expressed concern over the country’s dependence on foreign aid, emphasizing the urgent need for South Africa to develop sustainable healthcare solutions. “People should be worried. This impacts both patient care and livelihoods. Doctors, nurses, and data capturers integrated into our clinics and hospitals will now be left stranded, unsure of where their salaries will come from,” she warned.
The South African Department of Health has yet to release an official statement. Spokesperson Foster Mohale noted that they had not received formal communication from USAID but would provide further updates once officially notified.
The funding freeze highlights the vulnerability of essential healthcare services in South Africa, particularly for marginalized communities, and raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of such programs without international support.
