BANGKOK — Saturday marks a major milestone in the global fight to eliminate the AIDS epidemic, as the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief celebrates its 20th anniversary as the largest commitment by a country to combat a disease.
PEPFAR, launched under then-President George W. Bush, has now spanned four administrations, operates in more than 50 countries, and has helped increase access to HIV prevention tools and treatment.
It’s also reduced transmission and progression of the disease and, with the help of new pre-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral drugs, reduced deaths globally. Since its inception, the U.S. government has invested more than $100 billion, with the program estimated to have saved 20 million lives globally.
