November 30, 2009

Report: PEPFAR, Other Global AIDS Initiatives Ease Pandemic

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other global AIDS initiatives have contributed to significant declines in AIDS-related mortality, according to a report by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Center for Global Health Policy.  

The report also shows that these efforts have strengthened primary care in countries most affected by HIV/AIDS and have enhanced the treatment and prevention of other diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis.  

“The report comes as there are worrisome signs the U.S. government is considering a significant slowing in the scale-up of global AIDS prevention and treatment,” said Chris Collins, vice president and director for public policy at amfAR. “A retreat on our global AIDS commitments would jeopardize the gains we’ve made.”  

The report urges U.S. policymakers and Obama administration officials to increase HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, which can help build broader and more sustainable health care in developing countries.  

“PEPFAR and other global AIDS programs have given more than 4 million people in resource-poor countries a second chance,” said Christine Lubinski, director of the Center for Global Health Policy. “Going forward, PEPFAR can serve as a backbone for the revitalization of primary care in Africa.”

Search: amfAR, PEPFAR

Scroll down to comment on this story.