PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018 Shows U.S. Government’s anti-HIV/AIDS Commitment

Media Contacts:
Meghan Quinn, 202-448-8470, mquinn@pedaids.org;
Eliza Dryer, 202-280-1537, edryer@pedaids.org

• August 3, 2018 — Washington, D.C. — The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) applauds the introduction of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief  (PEPFAR) Extension Act of 2018 in the House of Representatives. This legislation reauthorizes the program for five years and continues the U.S. Congress’s longstanding and bipartisan commitment to defeating HIV/AIDS worldwide.

EGPAF thanks the bill’s sponsors—Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Karen Bass (D-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA), and Eliot Engel (D-NY)—for their leadership and dedication to U.S. global HIV/AIDS programs.

“Over the past 15 years, PEPFAR has driven stunning progress in the global fight against AIDS, including enabling more than 2.2 million babies to be born HIV-free to HIV-positive mothers,” Charles Lyons, EGPAF President and CEO, said. “As a long-term PEPFAR implementer, we see the program’s remarkable success up close, but we are also very aware how much work remains. Sustained support and leadership on the part of the U.S. is instrumental, and EGPAF welcomes this step toward renewing commitments to ending the epidemic.”

Each day, over 400 children are newly infected with HIV. Without treatment, most will die before their fifth birthday—but only 52 percent of HIV-positive children have access to the lifesaving treatment they need. The necessity of continued global programmatic efforts, especially a reauthorization of PEPFAR, is both clear and urgent.

EGPAF looks forward to continuing to work with Congress to strengthen and sustain the PEPFAR program.

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About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: EGPAF is the global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV/ AIDS and has reached more than 27 million pregnant women with services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. Founded in 1988, EGPAF today supports activities in 19 countries and over 5,000 sites to implement prevention, care, and treatment services; to further advance innovative research; and to execute global advocacy activities that bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide. For more information, visit pedaids.org.