Secretary Blinken on the 20th Anniversary of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Press statement
The Secretary of State
January 28, 2023

Twenty years ago today, President George W. Bush announced the creation of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Since that historic announcement, the people of the United States have provided more than $100 billion to save more than 25 million lives and contributed to the resilience of public and community health systems today and tomorrow. By working with partner governments, multilateral and regional institutions, people living with HIV/AIDS, NGOs and other stakeholders, we are confident that we can sustain this progress and eliminate HIV/AIDS as a threat for public health by 2030.

With the bipartisan support of the US Congress and the generosity of the American people, PEPFAR has provided more than 20.1 million people with life-saving HIV treatment in more than 55 countries. These efforts have built, and continue to build, stronger health infrastructure in many countries, improving health security and responses to other health crises such as COVID-19, mpox and Ebola.

However, we know that progress made in ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic can be easily reversed without focused, sustained and equitable action. We cannot achieve our goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a global health threat if we deny people’s rights or allow stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS or those most likely to contract HIV. As President Biden said on World AIDS Day 2022, “[W]We finally have the science, the treatments and the tools to build an AIDS-free future where everyone – no matter who they are, where they come from or who they love – can get the care and respect they deserve. Our administration is committed to ensuring that all LGBTQI+ people are treated with dignity and respect, to closing pernicious gender gaps, and to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. We responsibility to sustain progress, track science and address disparities. and inequitable access to achieve our common goals.

Thank you to the many people around the world who have helped PEPFAR succeed over the past twenty years and who join me today in renewing their commitment to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat in ‘by 2030. We look forward to marking 20 years of PEPFAR impact throughout 2023.

Through American Mission in Italy | January 29, 2023 | Topics: News | Key words: PEPFAR