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by Janine Kossen, Director of Public Policy
PEPFAR—the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—officially turns ten on May 27th, the date when President George W. Bush signed it into law. It’s a remarkable milestone given that many global health and development programs never make it out of their infancy. With the program now entering its pre-teen years, it’s the perfect time to take stock of its efforts to reach young people in their second decade of life.
Over the past ten years, we have witnessed dramatic scientific advances in the fight against HIV and AIDS, spurring renewed hope that the end of AIDS is in sight. These advances, coupled with the U.S. Government’s Blueprint for Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation and the recently-released Institute of Medicine evaluation of PEPFAR, offer real promise for the way forward.
This promise, however, is in real jeopardy. Several years of level and/or decreased funding threaten the successes PEPFAR has achieved to date. While politicians wrangle over funding and policy decisions in Washington, HIV continues to take its toll on our families, our communities, and our nations, particularly among young people. Despite declines in HIV prevalence among young people in recent years, 15-24 year-olds continue to account for four in ten new infections around the globe. This is simply unacceptable. |
