Washington, D.C. – As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee considers reauthorizing and expanding PEPFAR, an initiative that so far has allowed more than 1.4 million people with HIV/AIDS around the world to receive lifesaving treatments, ONE members are urging the Senate to build upon America’s efforts to save millions of people from the world’s deadliest diseases by approving a bold, bipartisan expansion of the PEPFAR program.

Background:

Last month, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s House counterpart, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, approved a bipartisan five-year expansion of PEPFAR. The House version of the bill, titled the Lantos-Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Act, would allow the U.S. to provide lifesaving treatment through bilateral channels for at least three million AIDS patients; prevent 12 million new infections; provide care five million AIDS orphans; and train and support 140,000 new health professionals. The House bill also provides $4 billion for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis and $5 billion to fight malaria.

ONE President and CEO David Lane offered the following statement on the Senate version of PEPFAR:

“This legislation is American leadership at its noblest. Through an expanded PEPFAR initiative, Congress has the chance to save lives, end suffering and prevent millions of children from growing up without parents. Not only do we save millions of lives through PEPFAR, but we also create lasting friendships with people and governments around the world. By acting today, we transform tomorrow’s world for the better.

“For the past five years, PEPFAR has proved to be one of the most far-reaching and forward-thinking foreign policy initiatives. Now, this effort needs to grow from an emergency response to a sustainable response. The new legislation will give host governments the tools and the resources that they need to manage and develop the health care programs already in place.

“ONE applauds Chairman Biden and Ranking Member Lugar for their leadership in combating preventable global diseases and extreme poverty.”

ONE is a grassroots advocacy effort of millions of people, rallying together to press government leaders to fight the emergency of extreme poverty and preventable global disease.   For more information, visit www.ONE.org.

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