amfAR Hails Passage of PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act
Bill reaffirms bipartisan commitment to U.S. leadership in addressing global AIDS
NEW YORK, NY, Nov. 20, 2013 -- amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, today hailed unanimous passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act. The bill, which now heads to President Obama's desk for signing, extends the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for another five years.
"PEPFAR is the most successful global health program in history," said Kevin Robert Frost, amfAR's CEO. "Reauthorization of PEPFAR renews the U.S. commitment to deliver life-saving prevention and treatment services in the countries most heavily affected by HIV."
The U.S. is the leading provider of international HIV assistance, accounting for almost half (49%) of all international HIV funding in 2012. PEPFAR supports antiretroviral treatment for over five million people and in 2012 alone prevented 230,000 children from acquiring HIV. The federal government's support for PEPFAR is also money well spent, as studies have consistently found that spending on HIV treatment generates both short- and long-term cost savings by substantially delaying or averting altogether the intensive costs associated with medical treatment of late-stage HIV disease.
"The unanimous vote by the House of Representatives demonstrates that support for American leadership in the fight against AIDS cuts across political boundaries," said Chris Collins, amfAR's Vice President and Director of Public Policy. "This legislation introduces important reporting requirements that will strengthen PEPFAR's work and assist policy makers in accelerating progress on global AIDS."
About amfAR
amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $366 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. For more information, please visit www.amfar.org.
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