The Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance makes the following urgent comments and recommendations:
▪ The CHPA recognises the right of a democratically elected government to determine their own domestic policy.
▪ The CHPA also recognises and appreciates the benefits that USA overseas aid has brought, over many years, to citizens of Commonwealth countries.
▪ The CHPA is gravely concerned that the freeze of USA overseas aid at very short notice has:
– put lives at risk when life-saving medications, medical procedures, and essential research have been withdrawn without time to put alternative arrangements in place;
– brought significant hardship to the people who benefited from those programs, and to local people working within those programs;
– resulted in the immediate cessation of programs and the consequential closure of organisations and agencies, dispersal and unemployment of staff, and loss of infrastructure, which will be costly to replace.
The CHPA urgently calls on the USA government for the immediate restitution of life saving medical and humanitarian aid, even if only for a limited period, to enable governments and organisations to adapt, and people to survive.
The CHPA urgently calls on each Commonwealth member state to undertake an immediate stocktake of programs receiving USAID and prioritise those in need of immediate assistance to save lives and prevent harm.
The CHPA calls on the Commonwealth Secretariat to work with the World Health Organisation, Commonwealth member states, and other relevant agencies to facilitate the collection of data and other information to identify the short, medium and long term impact of the withdrawal of USAID on individuals, groups, communities and countries.
The CHPA calls on Commonwealth member states to support each other in responding to the immediate crisis, including the provision of short term aid to facilitate transition to whatever new arrangements may emerge.
The CHPA calls on the Commonwealth Foundation and Commonwealth civil society to use their resources and networks to support the Commonwealth response, recognising the opportunities for developing alternative, long-term and sustainable service delivery arrangements to meet the needs of individuals, groups, communities and countries.
Signed by:
Commonwealth Medical Association
Commonwealth Pharmacists Association
Commonwealth Dental Association
Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work
Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation
Commonwealth Association for Health and Disability
Commonwealth HIV and AIDS Action Group
Commonwealth Association for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
For further information please contact:
Dr David N Jones Executive Member
Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work
email: telephone: +44 (0) 7827 441577
Ms Victoria Rutter Executive Member
Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance Commonwealth Pharmacists Association
email: telephone: +44 (0) 203 285 6652