Chairman Royce: Please Honor US’ PEPFAR Commitment!

In Advocacy, News by AHF

Congressman Ed Royce (R – Calif.), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, voted against the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2008 – As the important global AIDS program responsible for saving millions of lives faces reauthorization again this fall, we need to get loud and tell Chairman Royce that he must support the reauthorization of PEPFAR with a clear allocation of funding for treatment

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Want to get Louder? Call Chairman Royce and say:

Hi, my name is ______ and I’m calling to support the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and I urge Congressman Royce to reauthorize the program this year with a re-emphasis on AIDS treatment and cost efficiency.

If we are finally going to turn the tide on the AIDS epidemic, PEPFAR must prioritize getting as many people on treatment as possible. If we do this, we can more than double the number of people on treatment without spending any additional funds.

I strongly urge Congressman Royce to keep the promise on AIDS, and to reauthorize PEPFAR this year.

Thank you.

Send the e-letter below to Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, urging him to reauthorize PEPFAR this year with needed changes to ensure that the program saves money while helping finally end the AIDS epidemic.

The PEPFAR global AIDS program has been a resounding success, providing lifesaving AIDS treatment to over 5 million people, preventing millions of new HIV infections, and providing care to over 4.5 million orphans and vulnerable children.

Now this success is under threat: Only 4 of the 33 PEPFAR Partnership countries are treating more than 50% of their population living with HIV/AIDS; PEPFAR funding for treatment, as a percentage of total funds, has been steadily declining, currently representing only 25% of total funds; and there are widespread reports of capping treatment and even closing clinics. If we are finally going to turn the tide on the AIDS epidemic, PEPFAR must prioritize and incentivize getting as many people into treatment as possible.

In order to make these important changes to this crucial program, Congress must first reauthorize PEPFAR with clear, unshakeable allocations for treatment funding. Though he supported the plan when former President George W. Bush first introduced it in 2003, Southern California Republican Congressman Ed Royce – who was recently named the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee – voted against the reauthorization of PEPFAR in 2008.

PEPFAR-supported clinics and patients worldwide have already experienced enough instability with the closure of treatment centers due to yearly budget cuts within the program, which threatens treatment regimens – and ultimately risks lives. Tell Chairman Royce that now is not the time to retreat on the U.S. commitment to the global AIDS fight – he must support the reauthorization of PEPFAR this fall!

Raise your voice and motivate others: click the Twitter button at the top of this email to Tweet directly to Chairman Royce!

We cannot simply wait for the world to change – we must act up, speak out, and be heard.

Send This Message

Message Subject: Congressman Royce, Reauthorize PEPFAR

Dear Chairman Royce: [Decision Maker],

I am concerned about the future of the PEPFAR program and the United States’ commitment to fighting AIDS around the world. As Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I urge you to reauthorize PEPFAR this year with needed changes to ensure that the program saves money while helping finally end the AIDS epidemic.

In the five years since the last reauthorization of PEPFAR, it has been learned that the most effective way to prevent new HIV infections is to “test and treat” find those people living with HIV/AIDS, and get them into treatment. This is because people with HIV/AIDS receiving treatment are up to 96% noninfectious, and studies have shown that a large scale up of treatment can have a dramatic effect on reducing infections. There are also real world examples: both Cambodia and Guyana, which have over 50% of their citizens with HIV/AIDS on treatment, are on track to eliminate HIV infections in their countries by 2020.

However, despite this knowledge and the undisputed evidence that it works, PEPFAR is not prioritizing treatment:

– Only 4 of the 33 PEPFAR Partnership countries are treating more than 50% of their population with HIV/AIDS. Some countries spend as little as 15% of PEPFAR funding on AIDS drugs.

– PEPFAR funding for treatment, as a percentage of total funds, has been steadily declining, and now represents only 25% of current funds.

– There are widespread reports of capping treatment and even closing clinics.

If we are finally going to turn the tide on the AIDS epidemic, PEPFAR must prioritize and incentivize getting as many people on treatment as possible. To do this, I strongly urge you to reauthorize the program with a requirement that 75% of funding be spent on test and treat and for PEPFAR to reduce its per patient costs. If we do this, we can more than double the number of people on treatment without spending any additional funds.

I look forward to your leadership on this urgent global health issue.
Sincerely,

Send E-Letter Ed Royce Button



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