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PEPFAR Expands Life-Saving Programs

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby today announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR's expansion of life-saving programs for 2011.

PEPFAR has demonstrated the remarkable good will and generosity of the American people. Congress' ongoing bipartisan support for PEPFAR, and President Barack Obama's continuing stewardship of a landmark program launched by President George W. Bush, have shown the world that PEPFAR is a vital, effective and durable element of the American foreign policy.

"All across Africa, I have been struck by the deep gratitude of governments and ordinary people for PEPFAR's lifesaving mission. This effort has provided a positive and powerful message in our public diplomacy. Actions speak louder than words, and the people of Africa clearly understand that this support comes from the American people, providing them with a window into who we are as a people."-Ambassador Goosby

Saving Lives

Mr. Goosbay stated that 2010 was a crucial chapter in the global response, providing many reasons for hope about the future. As has been true throughout the past decade, the commitment of the American people was central to virtually all of the year's breakthroughs. America is truly leading the world in this effort.

According to Ambassador Goosby that PEPFAR continue to expand life-saving programs this year, as shown by 2010 program results - the vast majority of which were achieved in Africa.

At the end of the fiscal year, PEPFAR supported over 3.2 million people on treatment through bilateral programs worldwide, an increase of more than 700,000 over the previous year.

PEPFAR and the U.S.-supported Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria continue to be the leading engines of the dramatic increase in availability of treatment. UNAIDS estimates that at least 5.2 million people in low- and middle-income countries are now receiving treatment, predominantly in Africa. Most of these people were already quite ill when they accessed treatment, and would have died in the near future without it. This is truly an extraordinary global achievement.

PEPFAR programs provided more than 600,000 pregnant women with drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), reflecting one of my top priorities. As a result, it is estimated that over 114,000 babies were born free of HIV in 2010 - representing continued sharp acceleration of PMTCT efforts relative to earlier years. PEPFAR also provided care and support for over 11 million people in FY 2010, including over 3.8 million orphans and vulnerable children.

Ambassador Goosby concluded that much has been accomplished and much more remains to be done. He said that the United Sates will push on toward the ambitious goals in its Five-Year Strategy - using all that they have learned, to do more and to do better.

Source: U.S. Department of State