The Catholic Health Care Association (CATHCA) has acknowledged the South African government’s 2025/26 health budget allocation of R275.5 billion. While this reflects an overall increase in health expenditure, CATHCA warns that targeted reductions within specific health programmes could adversely affect under-resourced communities.

In a statement shared with the SACBC Communication Office, the Catholic Church’s dedicated body for health care in South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini expressed concern over the termination of U.S. PEPFAR funding, which has led to the loss of over 8,000 healthcare workers and the closure of 12 specialised HIV clinics serving key populations.

According to the Monday, May 26, statement, the cancellation of such funds has serious implications for the continuity of care, stigma-free service delivery, and South Africa’s HIV response. “Early signs—such as a 21% drop in viral load testing, declining HIV testing rates, and the collapse of community-based tracking systems for ARV defaulters—are deeply alarming,” as the “systems played a vital role in re-engaging individuals who had fallen out of care and preventing treatment interruptions.”

In the statement signed by the Liaison Bishop for CATHCA Archbishop Frank Nubuasah SVD, the healthcare arm of the SACBC notes the “continuing pressure on mental health services, preventative care, and community-based outreach, which are essential for holistic health and wellbeing.”

As a faith-based organisation committed to health justice, CATHCA “calls for greater transparency in how these reallocations will be implemented and for civil society, including faith-based actors, to be meaningfully engaged in mitigating the impact on communities.”

The Catholic Church’s dedicated body for health care in South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini expresses “readiness to collaborate with the government and partners to safeguard progress made in health care delivery and to protect the dignity and well-being of all people,” especially the most vulnerable.