PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was first announced in 2003 during President George W. Bush’s State of the Union Address. In May of the same year, Congress agreed to provide $15 billion over the course of 5 years to help countries in need. In July 2008, congress reauthorized PEPFAR and agreed to provide an additional $48 billion over the course of the next five years.
The goals of the PEPFAR program are to prevent 7 million new HIV infections, treat 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and care for 10 million children who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
The money provided is divided into four priority area.
- 55% to provide treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS
- 15% for palliative care for those dying from AIDS
- 20% to provide HIV prevention services
- 10% to help AIDS orphans and vulnerable children
Focus Countries
PEPFAR has designated 15 countries to be the focus of the program. Most of the countries are in Africa, but South America, Asia, and the Caribbean are also represented. The focus countries are home to over half of the 33 million individuals with HIV/AIDS. The following countries have been designated as focus areas: Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.
Successes
Major successes of the PEPFAR program include providing care for 6.6 million individuals suffering the affects of HIV/AIDS, including 2.7 million orphans and vulnerable children. PEPFAR partners have also provided 33 million counseling and testing sessions for men, women, and children.
PEPFAR money also provides services to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. As of March 31, 2008, care had been provided to women during 12.7 million pregnancies, antiretroviral prophylaxis treatment was provided during 1 million pregnancies, and an estimated 194,000 infant HIV infections were prevented.
Criticism
The main criticism for the PEPFAR program has been the use of the money earmarked for prevention. Two-thirds of the prevention money is to be used to promote abstinence until marriage and being faithful and one-third is to be used for providing condoms. An article pulished in The Lancet, a medical journal, cited the policy as being “ill informed and ideologically driven.” The article went on to say that if condom use was pushed more in addition to the abstinence and being faithful message, more cases of HIV could be prevented.
Resources:
"HIV prevention policy needs an urgent cure", The Lancet 367(9518), 15-21 April 2006
The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Official Website
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